Library on wheels: Winnipeg Public Library bike offers books and more

It may look like it's selling ice cream, but a special bike rolling around central Winnipeg this summer is actually carrying more than 100 books that you can borrow on the spot.

The Winnipeg Public Library's Book Bike is a mini-library-branch on wheels, stocked with a selection of at least 150 to 200 books and travelling around the downtown and surrounding areas.It's staffed by two people who can help you pick out a book and answer all your library-related questions.

"We have a custom-made cargo bike that we have put together and it unfolds to have shelves inside," said Kathleen Williams, the library's administrative co-ordinator of community outreach and marketing.

"You can really browse books, you can borrow them, you can get your library card, you can ask questions, you can even see demonstrations of our online e-services as well."

Don't have a library card? Looking for a book that's not on the bike? No problem, says Williams.

"You can walk right up to the book bike and get your library card or renew your existing card," she said.

"You can place holds, so if there's something we actually don't have on the Book Bike that you would like to have picked up at your local branch, we can place a hold for you."

Books that are borrowed on the Book Bike can be returned to any Winnipeg Public Library branch, she added.

Williams said Winnipeg is not the first city in Canada to offer a book bike, but it's believed to be the first of its kind in Manitoba.

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"We saw that Camrose, Alta., and a couple other places in B.C. had them, and we were really taken with them because they can get to many places very efficiently, very easily, and so we thought we need one of those," she said.

"It took a little while, we put it together, and it looks great it is a work of art."

Surprisingly nimble

Williams said the Book Bike has attracted a lot of attention including many selfies and questions since it launched on June 20 as part of Bike Week Winnipeg.

One popular question: Is it hard to bike around with all those books in tow?

"You would actually be surprised at how nimble the bike is and how easy it is to pedal," Williams said.

"We thought it might be a little bit heavy but actually it isn't, and a lot of our staff have been really enjoying going out for rides on it."

People can find where the Book Bike will be by following the Winnipeg Public Library on Facebook or on Twitter using the hashtag #wplbookbike.

For example, it was parked near the Manitoba Legislative Building earlyFriday afternoon.

Williams said the Book Bike aims to encourage more Winnipeggers to read over the summer, whether they're physical books or online resources like e-books.

"It's incredibly important especially for early literacy," she said. "Especially as young children are just starting to read, we take that summer break and there is summer learning loss.

"Also, it's just really a great time when you might be going to the cottage and you have a bit of downtime or you are heading out on your lunch break and sitting out in the sun; it's a great time to pick up a book and read."

As for whether the Book Bike would consider teaming up with a Dickie-Dee ice cream bike to offer frozen treats with books, Williams said it would be a delicious idea.

"I think everyone loves ice cream, and if Dickie-Dee wanted to come and park beside us with some ice cream and we could maybe loan a book or two out to them and they could share some ice cream, I think that would be a great idea," she said.