Maidenhead & Windsor

An eye-catching new addition to the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough's library fleet is set to be launched on Wednesday November 12 when a state-of-the-art mobile library sets off on its maiden voyage around the borough.

The brightly decorated 7.5 tonne vehicle – designed by award-winning vehicle branding company Racoon together with library staff – will travel throughout the borough to bring the library to residents who find it difficult getting out and about.

Its impressive exterior, emblazoned with blue sky, green grass, books and a map of the Windsor and Maidenhead borough, is complemented by a fresh, modern internal design housing up to 3,000 new books, large print and audio books.

At first the vehicle, which replaces a rented unit, will visit residential homes and supply books to volunteers working with housebound people. Eventually the vehicle will also join the borough's other mobile library on the general public route.

Cllr Simon Dudley, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead adult and community services, said: "The Royal Borough is successfully bucking the national trend of dwindling numbers of borrowers choosing from a diminishing selection of items.

"Our libraries remain as important to us as they do to our residents. This mobile library is a major investment in a service that is helpful to those with limited transport and invaluable to the housebound."

Next year the vehicle will be taken to the annual Mobilemeet, a nationwide gathering of mobile library vehicles, where it will compete in a national design competition.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead