LVCCLD Executive Director Kelvin Watson behind the wheel of an RTC bus Photo credit: Cierra Pedro

A partnership between Las Vegas–Clark County Library District (LVCCLD) and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is bringing the library’s digital resources to every bus in town. Las Vegas transit riders, including out-of-towners, can now immediately access LVCCLD’s treasure trove of free movies, ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines with one simple download, without physically being in the library or having a library card.

Through OverDrive’s Libby app, riders can become library users anywhere, at any time. The app, which is already used by thousands of local residents and library patrons, is easy to use and offers patrons hundreds of options to read, listen to, and watch during a commute.

Since September 16, every city bus has been equipped with a QR code; riders can use a digital device to scan it to download LVCCLD’s Libby app. Once downloaded, riders gain access by entering their mobile number, whereupon the library will instantly verify the new account, enabling immediate access to begin borrowing material for free.

Internet access is not a barrier, as all RTC transit riders in southern Nevada can connect to the RTC free Wi-Fi on their mobile devices. Libby is compatible with all major computers and devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android, and Chromebook. Riders can download titles for offline use or send them to their e-reader. Items are automatically returned at the end of the lending period.

“We provide free Wi-Fi to all of our transit customers on board our buses and at our transit facilities, which was instrumental in launching our partnership with the Library District,” RTC CEO M.J. Maynard told LJ. “It is a valuable resource to our customers, who may not have internet access at home or have a limited data plan with their mobile carrier. When customers connect to our free Wi-Fi, they can access the Libby app and the Library District’s digital resources without incurring data usage fees from their cell phone provider.” The QR codes are displayed in the 400 public buses, and the service is advertised at 50 bus shelters throughout the city.

The project is the brainchild of LVCCLD Executive Director Kelvin Watson, who has led initiatives to provide virtual library services outside of the physical library spaces in Queens, NY and Broward County, FL, before coming to Las Vegas. Previously, as director of the Broward County library system, which serves 1.9 million people in the Fort Lauderdale region, Watson led the the “Read While You Ride” initiative, which offered “pop-up libraries” on buses. Digital collections were made available via a self-contained Wi-Fi–enabled device, giving riders instant access to free ebooks. The devices, provided by the library and plugged into the front panel of the bus, enable internet access for a 40-foot radius.

When the partnership was proposed between LVCCLD and RTC, Maynard stated, “we shared a vision of providing the Library District’s digital resources to RTC customers during their daily commute.”

RTC first administered a survey to see whether its users would enjoy a pop-up library. The results were less than enthusiastic, as this required users to leave their mobile device service to log on to the pop-up library’s Wi-Fi. Watson also realized that the different climate and population meant that he couldn’t replicate what he had done with pop-up libraries in outdoor spaces and parks in the Fort Lauderdale region.

Given the different customers, demographics, and climate, Watson realized the initiative would work best if it focused on leveraging RTC’s free Wi-Fi. LVCCLD decided to streamline resources by working solely with the Libby app to provide easy access through a single platform.

“The RTC partnership has been tremendous,” Watson said. “This is an example of using taxpayers’ money to the best of our ability. RTC has been a great partner to the library, really wanting to provide something to customers that we both serve. These are people that are already riding the bus and we’ve just expanded a service that they didn’t have access to, or maybe they didn’t know about. We’ve just provided another benefit to the bus riders from the library.”

Both public services were seeking dynamic ways to improve the customer service. When Library Journal spoke with Watson on October 27, the initial data shared about user experience was promising: 1,747 page views,1,494 unique page views, and 933 new users. The average session duration lasted 56 seconds.

“Folks are checking [it] out,” Watson explained. “They're staying on it for a while. In one month we've had almost a thousand users!”

He was also pragmatic: “These numbers tell me that we still have a lot of work to do as libraries to let people know about what we’re doing—these are folks who are half taking advantage of it.”

Watson also stressed that these numbers don’t indicate the comprehensive impact of the initiative, as the project is as much a marketing tool as it is a streaming platform. He explained, “Libraries market well to the people that come to the doors. The people that don’t come to the library don’t have access and are missing out on knowing about [it].” By promoting library services on buses, Watson hopes riders who use it will be inspired to ask what else the library might have to offer.

Watson hopes to continue to expand the library beyond the realm of physical buildings. “How do we go even further?” he asked.

LVCCLD is already in conversation about expanding streaming services, as the district works with numerous digital ebook providers beyond OverDrive. Watson shared about several projects currently in the works: offering streaming services in Mesquite (part of the Las Vegas district), within a strip mall, to the families and people at the Nellis Air Force Base, and perhaps to hotels on the strip, community centers, and airports.