Books For All - Free For All
Founded almost a century ago, the Harris County Public Library began as a 1921 social “experiment” with a $6,500 budget. By the end of that first year, HCPL had a total of 3,455 books with a circulation of 19,574 volumes. Almost immediately the implementation of a book wagon service began. Library workers drove hundreds of miles to distribute books all over Harris County despite the lack of appropriate vehicles. In 1925 Harris County found extra budget money, and bought an Essex Coach for the library – a vehicle with a roof. In 1936 C. Jim Stewart & Stevenson built a custom bookmobile with interior and exterior shelves. At the end of the second decade of service, the HCPL bookmobile service included 10 routes with 50 stops made once every two weeks.