SEPTA riders have another option besides staring at their phones during their daily commute—free books to read, reports Mike Denardo for KYW News Radio.

Barbara Nolan knew that London and New York offered free books to their transit riders. It got her thinking, and she approached SEPTA.

“It’s an excellent way to pass the time when you’re on public transit. And it’s always a great thing to encourage reading and to introduce readers to new books,” she said. “

As an administrative assistant with the University of Pennsylvania Press, Nolan had contacts in the publishing industry — and she asked them to donate.

Thus, the new “Books in Transit” program was born. Fourteen titles are available at three SEPTA locations: Headquarters at 1234 Market, Jefferson Station and 69th Street.

“I chose this month’s titles with SEPTA’s diverse ridership in mind. We’re got people from the city, people from outside the city. We’ve got adults. We’ve got children. So I tried to choose a range of books, fiction and nonfiction.”

Unlike New York or London, riders do not have to return the books after they’ve finished reading them.  Peruse this month’s titles at iseptaphilly.com/books.

Read more about reading on SEPTA here.

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