Mobile Library on Unit Principle
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SERVING a population of 140,000 in an area which suffered badly from war-time bombing, Tottenham Borough Council libraries department has recently reinforced its existing permanent libraries with a mobile unit of original conception.
Designed by the borough engineer and Mr. A. W. McLellan, director of libraries, it consists of two trailer units, each 22 ft. long, which, placed end to end, form a 44-ft. library, containing about 4,000 books in all. The bodies, based on special Carrimore low-loading trailers with twin tyres all round, were built by W. T. Bright, Ltd., 119, Rhodeswell Road, London, E.14, using an ash frame panelled with hardboard on the interior and aluminium on the exterior.
Both units are self-contained and may be used individually. The interior fit • tings have been designed to provide maximum utility Each van carries . a total of 196 portable light-alloy shelf units, 26 ins. long, 8 ins, deep and 9 ins. high. These are carried in metal racks fitted to the walls, and may be easily removed, complete with books, and replaced.
The whole character of the contents of the vans may be changed in 30 minutes by this means, thus enabling _them to be used for adult borrowers during the day, for the schools early in the evening and revert to adult libraries again in the later hours.
At the rear of each van are two doorways, closed by roller shutters, which are used as entrances and exits when the unit is used individually. When both are employed together, these doorways provide means for communication between the two, and separate side doorways are then used for entrance and exit. These are arranged so that when the trailers are linked, both doors are on the same side.
Between the doorways are the librarians' counters with comfortable seats, a writing desk, pigeon holds for sorting returned books, and a fine box with a perspex cover communicating with a locked B4 drawer under the counter. All control switches are also placed in the counter section. A separate electric tubular heater is fitted in this section, identical, except in dimensions, to those fitted in the spaces between the shelving and the ' floor in both vans.
Other electrical equipment includes . five fluorescent tubes, strip lighting behind the display panels in the sides, and roof lights for e'mergency lighting. Mains or battery current may be used, the 12-volt battery being fed by a trickle charger when the mains are being tapped. Two Ventaxia 9-in. fans
are also fitted.
Clever use has been made of the clerestory roof for ventilation purposes. glazed panels for natural lighting being situated in the roof on each side. Internal headroom • is 6 ft. 8 ins., floor height 2 ft. 6 ins., overall width 7 ft. 6 ins. and unladen weight 3 tons 15 cwt.