We presented a new vehicle of the Mobile Library of the Ljubljana City Library, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in operation next year, with books travelling as many as 500,000 kilometres during this time. We donated the old Bibliobus, which had been in use for 16 years, to the Rijeka City Library.

Mobile librarianship has a long history and an extensive network of stations in Ljubljana and its wider surroundings. In one month, the Bibliobus visits a total of 47 stations in 10 municipalities – the City of Ljubljana, Ig, Medvode, Velike Lašče, Škofljica, Brezovica, Dobrova – Polhov Gradec, Dol pri Ljubljana, Horjul and Vodice. With it, we visit urban areas and rural places where there are no stationary libraries nearby, thereby increasing the use and enabling the general availability of library materials, information and services in the library network.

The Bibliobus travels 10,000 km a year, and users borrow an average of 400 units of material every day.

We care about accessibility

The new Bibliobus has a built-in elevator and a level floor inside, making it accessible even to persons with reduced mobility and older people.

In recent years, we have been opening Bibliobus stations in homes for the elderly and special institutions for vulnerable groups, such as the University Rehabilitation Institute Soča and the Ljubljana Prison in Ig, further ensuring accessibility.

Cultural cooperation with the city of Rijeka

We donated the old Bibliobus to the Rijeka City Library to further deepen the cooperation between the twin cities and the exchange of good practices and to improve the accessibility of literature to raise the reading culture.

In the agreement on cooperation in the field of culture, which was signed on 22 October 2019, the cities of Ljubljana and Rijeka undertook to promote cooperation in the field of culture according to the principles of the free exchange of cultural values. The agreement stipulates that cooperation will focus, among other things, on access to culture for all citizens. The two public institutes, the Ljubljana City Library and the Rijeka City Library, have already established mutual cooperation in the field of education.

The purchase of the mobile library Bibliobus in the amount of 365,292.40 EUR, including VAT, was co-financed by the City of Ljubljana and the municipalities of Brezovica, Dol pri Ljubljana, Dobrova-Polhov Gradec, Horjul, Ig, Medvode, Škofljica, Velike Lašče and Vodice and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia. The new vehicle was manufactured by the company AS Domžale d.o.o., and illustrator Anni Sangawa Hmeljak designed its exterior appearance.