The Books on Buses program aims to increase access to library services and encourage literacy throughout Charleston County
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Public transportation riders in Charleston County will now have access to even more free books at additional bus stops. The Charleston County Public Library and The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) partnered to provide free books for all ages at CARTA bus stops through the Books on Buses program, which was launched in April at two bus stops in North Charleston. This week, two additional bus stops in West Ashley and downtown Charleston are being launched.
The new “book boxes” are located in Charleston at the intersection of Ashley River Road and Magwood Drive (Stop #810) and at the intersection of Meeting Street and Mary Street (Stop #560). The program initially launched in April with two North Charleston CARTA stops at Rivers Avenue Park and Ride Lot at 1251 Melnick Drive and the Superstop at the intersection of Rivers and Cosgrove Avenues.
“We’ve given out hundreds of books since the Books on Buses program launched earlier this year,” said CCPL’s Outreach Manager Kathleen Montgomery. “This program allows us to further connect with our community and promote literacy in Charleston County.”
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.
“CARTA connects riders to the things they love, and thanks to this new chapter in our partnership with the Charleston County Public Library, that includes more books that open up new avenues of learning,” said CARTA Board of Directors Chairman Mike Seekings. “We are excited to expand the ‘books on buses’ partnership to new areas in Charleston County and look forward to helping our riders write their own success stories.”
“We are so happy that this program has been so well-received by the public and that we have been able to distribute almost 1,000 books into the community so far,” said CCPL Community Engagement Associate Director, Devon Andrews. “CCPL is committed to helping Charleston County residents have increased access to books and literacy wherever they are in their day and we are grateful to CARTA for their partnership on this project.”
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.
ABOUT CARTA
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is a public transportation system dedicated to providing affordable transit in the Charleston, S.C., community through local fixed routes, on-demand paratransit, and express commuter service. For the latest on CARTA, visit ridecarta.com, like us on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @RideCARTA. All customers are encouraged to plan rides and track buses with the CARTA-endorsed Transit app.
