NLT and Uber to launch mobile library scheme in London and Manchester

To help parents make more time for family bedtime stories, the National Literacy Trust has partnered with transport network Uber to launch a “mobile library” scheme starting next month in London and Manchester.

The free service launching on Monday 4th March will see a series of children’s books, curated by Puffin and the NLT, a reading charity, accessible in a number of cars for parents to take home.

The trial scheme follows research from Uber which revealed that 43% of British parents admit that working schedules prevent them from reading a bedtime story with their children based in a OnePoll survey of 2,000 parents in February 2019. One in five British parents (20%) say they never able to read to their children, rising to almost a third (31%) of parents in the capital. 

The selection of books have been selected by Puffin and NLT and are aimed at children aged between 18 months - 12 years including classics such as Charlotte’s Web and Peter Rabbit Tales (Puffin).

The trial will begin with 1,000 books distributed across London and Manchester to all participating drivers running the ‘Mobile Libraries’. All participating drivers will have a basket of books for parents to choose from, as well as a free bookmark and leaflet of information on the activity. The books will be available from 4th March until stocks last.

NLT director Jonathan Douglas said: “By encouraging a love of reading at home, parents can help their child develop the language and literacy skills they need to flourish at school and in all areas of their life. Amid increasingly busy family lives, research shows that finding just 10 minutes a day to read with your child can make all the difference – whether that’s sharing a story at bedtime, over breakfast or even on the school run. We are delighted to support Uber’s campaign; we hope it will succeed in bringing families together and stories to life.”