Driven by Books: The Journey of the Bibliomotocarro

Antonio La Cava, a retired teacher, transformed a delivery van into a mobile library called Bibliomotocarro to promote reading in rural Italy. Since 1999, he has journeyed over 300,000 kilometers, fostering a love for books in children, particularly in areas with low reading rates.

Antonio La Cava, a passionate retired teacher, initiated a remarkable endeavor in the late 1990s to combat declining reading habits in southern Italy. He converted a delivery van into the Bibliomotocarro, a mobile library that has traveled over 300,000 kilometers to deliver books to children in remote areas.

Dubbed 'Italy’s smallest library', the Bibliomotocarro was born out of La Cava’s concern for diminishing engagement with books among young students. Over the years, the van has made countless trips, spreading the charm of reading across Basilicata and beyond, while inspiring similar initiatives elsewhere.

La Cava recalls how literature used to be seen as exclusive, a notion he challenged by making books accessible to everyone via his humble three-wheeler. He dreams of a Bibliomotocarro in each Italian province, hoping to ignite a passion for reading and cultural growth in future generations.