【1997 Archives】

Looking for something to help you pass the time997 Archivesthe subway? New Yorkers just got a great (and free!) new option.

SEE ALSO: Stuck subway passengers throw impromptu graduation for student missing his ceremony

Starting Thursday, commuters can take advantage of the Subway Library, a joint effort between the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Library, the MTA, and Transit Wireless, which provides subway riders with access to tons of material they can enjoy for free on the train for six weeks.

"The New York Public Library’s mission is to make information and knowledge accessible to all, and this exciting partnership with the MTA is certainly right on track,” said New York Public Library President Tony Marx in a press release. “By making thousands of free stories easily available to subway straphangers, we are encouraging reading, learning, and curiosity."

Score one for public transportation!

Accessing the library is super easy. All you have to do is connect to the Transit Wireless WiFi Network (available at all underground stations), go to SubwayLibrary.com, and start browsing the vast selection of material donated to the New York Public Library by publishers. You can even download it to read later.

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To celebrate the launch, there's a special Subway Library train with its interior decorated to resemble the New York Public Library's famed (and recently renovated) Rose Main Reading Room, which NYPL Media Relations Director Angela Montefinise described as "REALLY cool (and not just cause I'm paid to say that)" in an email.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The train is painted bright blue, orange, and purple on the outside, brandished with the words "Subway Library," and will be running between the E and F lines in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

There's also a fun promotional aspect to the train: If you see the Subway Library train, post a picture of it using the hashtag #SubwayLibrary and the @TWWiFi handle to be automatically entered to win a Kindle Voyage. Nifty.

Check out these Subway Library reading recommendations from the New York Public Library here, and take a listen to our interview with Mohsin Hamid, whose novel Exist Westis featured on that list, below:

Happy reading!

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

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