Program allows transit passengers to read while they ride

Date: 1/3/2024

SPRINGFIELD — No matter where you are headed, public transportation in Western Massachusetts just got better now that passengers have the option to read while they ride.

On Dec. 21, state Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow) was joined by Pioneer Valley Transit Authority representatives, state Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield), state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield) and others at Springfield Union Station, to launch the expansion of the Browse Borrow Board Program.

Established in May, The Browse Borrow Board Program was first implemented as a pilot program for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, better known as the “T” in Boston.

Oliveira explained that the expansion of this program will cover the regional transit authorities, including PVTA.

“This partnership between MassDOT and the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Public Library, our regional transit authorities and the MBTA is essential for ensuring that people have access to materials that are essential for their learning, for their leisure and for their support in every season during the year,” Oliveira said.

To utilize this program, an individual can use their cell phone to scan a QR code. From there, they can access the materials of the Boston Public Library, including options such as e-books and audiobooks, among others, “that can make your commute to and from work or to the grocery store a lot easier,” shared Oliviera.

The Browse Borrow Board Program also ensures that people have access to materials in variating different languages, including Spanish and Chinese, to name a few.

The QR codes that were in the T system will now be included in Western Massachusetts through the PVTA and other regional transit authorities across the state.

The QR code also allows individuals to access these materials without having a library card. All that is required is an email address and name to sign up, and access is granted to the state’s library system, run through the Boston Public Library.

“This important program and the expansion of it to regional transit authorities really gets at the heart of regional equity,” Oliveira said, which is something he, Gomez and Gonzalez have long fought for here in Western Massachusetts.

“Both of these partners in the legislature helped get over the finish line the [fiscal year 2024] budget which really invested in key areas, including an amendment that I filed on the Senate side to help out our library systems here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and also invest in unique programs that help out not just our libraries, but also the quality of life for every resident of the commonwealth,” he added.

PVTA Administrator Sandy Sheehan shared that the administration is “pleased” to have partnered with the Massachusetts Library System and the Boston Public Library through the MassDOT Office of Innovation and possibility to join the Browse Borrow Board Program.

“This program is a great opportunity to bring a vast assortment of reading options to our transit riders,” Sheehan said. “It is multilingual and provides PVTA riders of all ages and backgrounds with the ability to be entertained by reading while they wait and ride the buses.”

Sheehan noted that this program is free and easy to use.

PVTA has purchased and installed promotional signage for this program. The signs are displayed in all the PVTA buses, at passenger waiting shelters, at the customer center offices located at the Holyoke transit center, as well as the Springfield Union Station.

Sheehan said the signs are found at all major transfer points for the system as well as bus stop locations throughout its service area.

PVTA is encouraging all its riders to sign up and browse the many books, magazines, journals and newspapers that are available in different languages. “Borrow the content and board the bus,” Sheehan added.

She went on to say that PVTA knows this program will provide its passengers with a more pleasant ride.

When the Borrow Board Program launched, Massachusetts Library System Executive Director Sarah Sogigian said, “News of the program spread quickly among our libraries and the excitement to expand the program was immediate.”

The Mass Library System joined this initiative in bringing the program statewide to various regional transit authorities. To date, the program has launched in seven regional transit authorities with more on the way.

“We are proud to ensure that state funding is reinvested into communities across the state and with this program, ensuring that multilingual digital content is accessible to transit riders statewide,” Sogigian said.

She thanked Oliveira for advocating for their work and ensuring they have the funding needed to meet the needs of readers and riders across Massachusetts.

Gomez noted that his son uses the public transportation system to get to high school, so rather than browsing on social media, he — among other students — can browse different books and learn while doing it.

“When you connect public riders to educational opportunities, it’s such a great advancement for all [of us] here in Massachusetts,” Gonzalez said.