Denver Public Library is Introducing “DPL Connect”, A Mobile Library and Hotspot That Uses Pedal Power Later This Week
At the end of May we posted a few items about the launch of Seattle Public Library’s new and super cool “Books on Bikes” program.
Today, we head to Denver and share info about the Denver Public Library rolling out their new and super cool “DPL Connect” service.
It’s a bike that’s also a mobile library and wi-fi hot-spot. Love it!
From the Denver Public Library Blog:
DPL Connect will make its inaugural ride at its official launch on Wednesday, August 7 on 16th Street Mall. Our tricked-out trike will provide free wireless internet access and will be stocked with a rotating collection of books tailored to the bike’s location (i.e. cookbooks and urban farming for farmer’s markets, bike repair and Denver maps for bike trails, etc).
The librarian riding DPL Connect, armed with a tablet and an internet connection, will provide traditional library services, helping customers with digital downloads (eBooks, audio books, and digital magazines), offering reading suggestions (personalized reading lists), assisting with research and registering new customers for library cards. Down the road, we’re working on DPL Connect’s ability to operate as a full-service library, complete with the ability to check out materials. In the meantime, we’ll be giving away featured books for people to read and hopefully share with others!
Kudos to the DPL team. Nice job.
More Info (Who Customized the Bike, Schedule)
UPDATE
A Look at the DPL Connect Bicycle via KUSA-TV (Video)
Filed under: Libraries, Maps, News, Public Libraries
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.