The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is partnering with the Queens, Brooklyn and New York Public Library systems to give riders access to hundreds of e-books.
For six weeks, anyone who logs into the Transit Wireless Wi-Fi installed in all underground stations can choose from a selection of e-books, e-shorts and excerpts from full-length books as part of the “Subway Library” promotion. Publishers including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, Plympton and Simon & Schuster have also donated excerpts.
“We are always looking for new ways to go beyond the walls of our libraries and deliver to the public unique, transporting learning experiences through our materials, services and programs,” said Queens Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “Subway Reads aligns perfectly with this objective, and will lead even more people to Queens Library’s extensive collection of e-books, audio books, music and digital magazines.”
The selections will be broken down into categories such as New York Stories, New & Noteworthy, Select Shorts, Children and Young Adult. Books include “Soar” by David Banks, “Swing Time” by Zadie Smith, “The Soul Is Not a Smithy” by David Foster Wallace, “Bayou Magic” by Jewell Parker Rhodes and “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli.
Those taking the E or F train may also get to experience the “library train,” which will be wrapped to resemble the Rose Main Reading Room inside the 42nd Street branch of The New York Public Library. It will alternate running on the Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue lines.
Riders who take photos near Subway Library posters or on the library train can tag @TWWiFi and use the hashtag #SubwayLibrary on Twitter or Instagram to win prizes. Winners will get either an Amazon Kindle Voyage or one-of-a-kind prizes from The New York Public Library.
To access the books, connect to Transit Wireless Wi-Fi and click on the SubwayLibrary.com prompt that will pop up on your screen.
