Warwickshire County Council’s libraries service is becoming more sustainable with the introduction of a new van, powered entirely by electricity, for the Home Library Service fleet.
The unveiling of the vehicle took place at a special event in Kenilworth for library staff to recognise and celebrate all of the service’s incredible volunteers.
The new electric vehicle (EV) is a modern Peugeot e-Expert van. It will be used by the Home Library Service team, which consists of fourteen volunteer drivers, to deliver library books to all corners of the county. The van has a range of over 150 miles on one charge and will enable the team to comfortably reach about 350 customers every four weeks in a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner. An eye-catching livery design has also been added onto the new van to help promote this valuable free service as it travels across the county.
The official unveiling of the van took place at a volunteer celebration event on Friday 17 November at Kenilworth Library, and provided the opportunity for library staff to share a heartfelt thank you to all of the volunteers whose unwavering support helps to deliver a great library service for customers across Warwickshire.
Ayub Khan, Head of Libraries and Face to Face front-line services at Warwickshire County Council, with the new van.
The Home Library Service is often described by customers as a lifeline if they are unable to visit their local library or mobile libraries due to ongoing ill health or infirmity. The book selections available in the van are chosen by staff based at the office in Kenilworth Library, and often tailored to customers’ preferences. The Home Library Service is completely free of charge, and books can be provided in large print or audio formats if required.
To find out more about the Home Library Service, including how to apply to receive the service, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/homelibraryservice. You can also phone 01926 851031, email mobilelibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk, or follow the service on Facebook.
Warwickshire libraries are always looking more volunteers and offer a variety of roles from helping with hospitality and IT support, to engaging with customers in crafting sessions. While all core library functions are staff-led, volunteering is a great way to contribute skills and spare time to help benefit the library customers in your local community. To find how to get involved, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/volunteering.
Cllr Yousef Dahmash, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation, said:
"We are delighted to unveil this electric-powered van as part of the Home Library Service offer. This new and modern addition, celebrated alongside our invaluable volunteers, ensures that we can support Warwickshire’s local communities whilst demonstrating the service’s ongoing commitments to environmental responsibility.
“The move to electric vehicles is part of the actions linked to the Council’s Sustainable Futures Strategy, which sets out how we will reduce carbon emissions from transport. To support this, libraries staff are also looking forward to welcoming two new mobile library vehicles, fully powered by electricity, in early 2024, which will be another exciting milestone in providing an accessible, sustainable, and environmentally conscious library services to residents.”
Warwickshire Libraries supports the five key themes set out in Warwickshire County Council’s Sustainable Futures Strategy, and this includes the theme of transport, which currently makes up 44% of the total carbon emissions in Warwickshire. The Strategy focuses on adapting to and mitigating against climate change, reducing the County Council’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, and supporting Warwickshire as a county to do the same by 2050 or earlier.
For more information about how Warwickshire is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/