Meeting People Where They're At: The Mobile Library
Published on 02 February 2026
“Libraries change lives” is the mantra of Public Libraries Victoria, a campaign to remind us that libraries are far more than shelves of paperbacks. In librarian circles, they have another saying, that libraries actually save lives.
Libraries are the jewel in the crown of public services - universal, inspirational and cost effective. In fact, it’s been proven that every dollar invested in Victorian public libraries generates more than four times that value in benefits to the local community. However you view your local collection, for many people, a trip to the library might be the big (or indeed the only) outing for the day. A chance to escape, turn their mood around or even just the chance to flick through a thriller, pay some bills and be treated well by a smiling stranger.
Unfortunately, full participation in society is no longer possible without at least an entry level of digital literacy. The ability to confidently navigate the internet is simply no longer optional, and this sudden shift has left a large part of the community struggling.
Teaching these skills has now been added to the librarian’s task list. They help guide people through scanning documents, applying for jobs, accessing Centrelink, or submitting forms. Their mission remains the same: whole-of-community access to knowledge, information, literature, and culture.
This mission is especially easy to see in rural areas, where even reaching a library building can be a challenge. In the Southern Grampians Shire, that’s where the Mobile Library shines. Driven by Outreach Library Services Officer Ann Hinsch, the Mobile Library is a custom fitted Isuzu F-Series truck, with the capacity to ferry thousands of books to every corner of the Shire.
“I have a lot of regulars,” laughs Ann. “We have some real characters come through; it can be a party on the truck sometimes.
“I know what they like, what they don’t and what they might try. Even when I’m reading for my own pleasure, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, the group in Cavendish might love this one, or the Dunkeld crowd would take a look at this.’ It just becomes part of your thought process.”
Ann carefully curates the contents of the shelves to match the community tastes in areas she’ll visit on a given day. The mobile library keeps a rotating stock of over 2000 items, giving a wide range of options for visitors.
“We try to target our collection at our local audience; you get a strong sense of what people like when you’re out in the community all the time. Some people like educational books, some people like something a little edgier, we constantly have kids who want DVDs - movies with dragons and dogs are always popular.
“That’s what the job is really, just understanding people and trying to get them what they want and what they need. I have holds on books from libraries all over the state, books that I saw and thought - I know who’d love to try that”
On top of this, Ann also runs the home library program, bringing books directly to the doors of those unable to make the journey. These are often people far out of towns, maybe without transport options or often people who just can’t get out and about. Ann will meet for a chat and figure out what they like and how they like to read. Large print, small print, different languages, audiobooks, DVDs, Ann considers it all and drops people enough books, films and magazines to keep them going until her next run.
“An interview is probably the wrong word for it,” she laughs. “It’s just a way to make sure that everyone can access community assets. If you can’t get to us, we’ll do whatever we can to put a book in your hand.”
The mission of public libraries is the same all over. To ensure that there is access for all - that no one gets left behind. The mobile library shows that this is a message that matters to the Hamilton Library. This is a library that punches well above its weight, doing roughly 35% more business than the state average despite the diminutive size. Ann sees more than anyone how important the library is to small communities.
“Libraries aren’t just nice,” she said, “they’re necessary.”
“You see it every day in the communities far from the bigger towns. The mobile library is a meeting place. They know where we’ll be and when and that becomes a gathering place. People swap information, catch up with neighbours. They might find out if someone is sick, or if someone needs a hand on their property, it keeps everyone connected, even if it’s only a few hours a week.
“We saw it after the bushfires last year; the truck became so important in small towns like Mirranatwa. For people to catch up, tell each other what was happening, just to come and see each other.
“When you’re doing the job, you can’t help but get involved with people,” she said,” You know what’s happening in their lives and they know what’s happening in yours. We don’t have each other over for dinner or anything, but all the same, it feels like family.”
Every single day, your public library tries to provide something necessary or enriching – free for you and for every person in the community: from kids to older generations, everyone gets covered.
A library will do this each and every day, even for those who don’t turn up, because some day, one day - they might.
If you want to learn more about your local library, the best thing to do is to stop in and see what all the fuss is about. For more about the mobile library or the home library, check out our website for more details.
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