Part of California's public transportation system, better known as BART, is going into the library business. It sounds small-scale at this point but I know that if I were a daily commuter relying on public transportation to get me to and from work this is something I would really, really appreciate.The story comes from the website of radio station KCBS:
BART has become the first transit system in the country to make library books available to commuters.Wouldn't it be great to see similar programs all across the country?
Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover became the first to use the kiosk at the Pittsburg-Bay Point BART station, swiping a library card in order to choose from 400 books stored in the machine.
The Bay Area program is modeled after similar ones in Europe. "A lot of people, particularly in East County, have a long commute. They drive to the BART station here and take BART into wherever it is they go to work and so we wanted them to be able to pick up a book on their way and not have to worry about getting to the library, you know, during its open hours," explained one librarian who was on hand for the unveiling of the kiosk.
Once finished, readers simply return the books to the BART book kiosk.
What a great idea, I agree!! I hope the roll this one out nationally.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an awesome idea. They should definitely introduce this all across the country. I ride the train to work and at least half the people on it are reading, I think something like this would really be welcomed.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Supervisor named Federal Glover? How could I have not known that?
ReplyDeleteI've been tempted to run to the BART station just to check the library kiosk out ever since I saw it on the news. It's just that it's one stop beyond mine...
That is bloody brilliant.
ReplyDeleteFantastic. Too bad I no longer live in the Bay Area. I wasn't a commuter, but I did use BART sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI'm just hoping that it catches on to the point that demand outstrips supply and those in charge figure out that they are on to a real winner with this idea.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like something that would work well in any large metropolitan area in the world...and BART could take credit for the idea.