WEST SUBURBS — Fourteen libraries along Metra’s BSNF Railway Line are collaborating to get digital resources to the region’s rising number of commuters. Ads now greeting riders on each BNSF Line train car highlight the ways a library card can help commuters save money and enjoy their time onboard.
The ad, funded by a grant from the RAILS library system, focuses on downloadable books and audiobooks, streaming media platforms, online newspaper access, and more.
Staff at these suburban libraries aim to spread the word about these services to riders who may be paying for similar services, unaware that their library already offers many of the same perks. The ad campaign complements signage and tabling events at stations throughout September, which is National Library Card Signup Month.
“I’ve had a renaissance using library resources—especially audiobooks on my way in and out of the city,” said Christian Siki, a Downers Grove Public Library user and frequent Metra rider. “For a while I would go to a store or Amazon, but I’m just realizing how much there is my library’s Libby app. Times like these, anything free is appreciated.”
The ad campaign is unusual for west suburban libraries, which generally confine their operations within the boundaries of the municipality they serve. “Metra riders are kind of a moving target, moving through all these different villages each day,” said Jay Hines-Shah, a Hinsdale Public Library trustee and weekly Metra passenger, “but they’re the ideal library users. They have some time to read and relax onboard; they are value-conscious; and they understand the value of shared, public spaces and resources.”
The onboard advertisement calls out several digital resources available at most libraries:
• eBooks and eAudiobooks on apps like Libby, Hoopla, and Boundless
• Music, movies and TV shows
• Newspaper and magazine access
• Language learning apps
• Passes to Brookfield Zoo and other Chicagoland museums
Some libraries even offer library cards online, so new users can sign up without leaving the train. Riders can visit bnsflibraries.com or their local library’s website to learn more.
This project is jointly run by Aurora Public Library, Berwyn Public Library, Cicero Public Library, Clarendon Hills Public Library, Downers Grove Public Library, Hinsdale Public Library, La Grange Public Library, La Grange Park Public Library, Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Public Library, Lisle Library District, Naperville Public Library, Riverside Public Library, Thomas Ford Memorial Library (Western Springs), and Westmont Public Library, and was funded through a RAILS grant.