Mobile Libraries in Greece: Historical Perspectives and the State of the Art

In this paper we discuss the phenomenon of mobile libraries with special reference to the Greek context. First we provide an overview of the history of mobile libraries internationally. Then we proceed to our case study presenting new data on the profile of the majority of mobile libraries’ users and on the operation mode of such a particular case of libraries in Greece. By way of conclusion we reflect on their current state providing an explanation for the reasons which have led to the decline of this institution in recent years. Lastly, we discuss the social mission of mobile libraries (which operate largely also as school libraries), attempting a correlation between the function of the welfare state and its obligations to citizens as an issue directly implicated to the future and present of mobile libraries.