Public transportation riders in Charleston County will now have access to free books for their rides! Charleston County Public Library and The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) have partnered to provide free books for all ages at two major bus stops in Charleston County.
“The Books on Buses program allows us to further connect with our community, increasing equitable access and promoting literacy in Charleston County,” said Kathleen Montgomery, CCPL's Outreach Manager. “It's one of our goals to provide people free and convenient access to books so they can enjoy them and share them with their families.”
Books on Buses features “book boxes” at two North Charleston CARTA stops – the Rivers Avenue Park and Ride Lot at 1251 Melnick Drive and the Superstop at the intersection of Rivers and Cosgrove avenues. These boxes contain books for all ages from CCPL's Community Collection, which uses donations and discarded materials to encourage literacy outside of library walls. The books are free and do not need to be returned to the box or any other library location.
“Reading and public transit both have the ability to transport us,” said CARTA Board of Directors Chairman Mike Seekings. “CARTA is committed to connecting our riders to the services and resources they need, from free COVID-19 testing to books that unlock new avenues of learning. We are pleased to partner with the Charleston County Public Library to provide this valuable benefit to our riders.”
“We understand that there are members of our community who cannot easily access our libraries or the services we offer, so we hope this will help bridge those gaps,” said CCPL Associate Director Devon Andrews, of Community Engagement. “We hope this is only the beginning. We look forward to working with CARTA on expanding this program to other stops in the future.”
For more information, visit ccpl.org, contact your local library branch, or connect with the library on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For information on CARTA, visit ridecarta.com.
