Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Best idea ever actually South American

Polis (a blog about cities, per its description) posts today about the integration of books and public transit. Apparently, Santiago (Chile), Madrid (Spain), Bogota (Columbia), and Sao Paulo (Brazil) have all installed library kiosks in busy transit hubs. The latest city to do so? El Cerrito, CA. The Contra Costa County Public Library has installed automated book machines in the El Cerrito BART station.

Since the Best Idea Ever has now proven to be an internationally successful idea, let's see if we can't implement it here in Riverside.

6 comments:

Helen Bushnell said...

All of the subway stations in Daejeon, South Korea have bookshelves in them. I think that most of the books are donated.

k said...

Nice idea about books and transit. Don't have an example of that but Flabob Airport restaurant has a book exchange when you walk in. Ony a few books there but they are always there for you to take, read, and leave a book yourself.

Seem to recall the trains across Canada have tiny libraries, at least in one of the cars used by folks who have sleepers and/or stay on the train for a day or two.

Change of topic
Posted an item on
Inland Empire Craigslist
Politics about TNOW
and LATE NIGHT BUS SERVICE
in RIVERSIDE http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pol/1603766437.html

Someone posted an anti-bus post, that included many of the concerns/issues folks have against buses. Click here http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pol/1604827883.html to see the text. I would have pasted in an exceprt but your system does not allow it. That post will only be readable for 20 to 30 days. Not sure if you could find a more anti bus post. But it was pro bicycles.

RTA faces folks with those views against bus service. So it would seem any public service video trying to promote RTA and/or late night bus service, would need to try to win over people with such mindsets, or at least soften their position against using buses.

Allie Cat said...

Same as always. Spending on roads is government's duty, and we need to do more of it. Spending on public transit is wasteful and anti-environment. (Somebody has been drinking the Cato Institute Kool-Aid.)

I tried to set him straight, but judging from the tone of the forum I highly doubt it'll work.

Allie Cat said...

Oh, and I really don't think this guy is pro-bikes at all. He just knows bikes don't get in the way of his SUV, they belong on the sidewalk. (Not.)

k said...

I very much enjoyed the cl post favor of Public Transit/buses on Inland Empire Craigslist Politics ads.

I will be sending an email, including both posts, to the TNOW folks, so they may see the sterotyped information/beliefs that need to be addressed via public videos/spots on public access channel across Riverside County.

Appreciate the wordsmithing skills and knowledge of the pro Transit poster on CL.

Allie Cat said...

I'm glad you find me a knowledgeable wordsmith. The anonymity of CL can be annoying at times. :)