My Library Is... Riding the Train with Me

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Library BNSF ad on a metra train ad space

In September of 2025, fourteen libraries* collaborated on an ad featured on the BNSF Metra line. Many of the libraries along the BNSF line are within walking distance of the train stations, and have a shared goal of reaching commuters, with an audience of 25–55-year-old patrons who may find it hard to make time to visit the library. The ad promoted digital resources from the libraries that are associated with each stop.  The RAILS My Library Is… Grant provided the funding for both the print ad and associated website.  

Hinsdale Public Library (HPL) and Downers Grove Public Library (DGPL) began conversations around reaching daily commuters in 2024 with a daydream of having an ad on every car along the BNSF line. To make the dream a reality, they coordinated with the staff of each library along the line. The idea was to create a low-effort, high-impact ad for the rest of the libraries, with HPL and DGPL taking on the bulk of the design and negotiation work. This turned out to be an easy sell for the participating libraries, as all shared the same goals: 

  • Remind and introduce commuters to their public libraries and how they can access it without stepping foot in the building 
  • Increase awareness and usage of eLibrary resources  
  • Increase card registrations during Library Card Sign Up Month. 

A print ad was placed within the entrance vestibule of each car (~61 cars) on Metra’s BNSF Line in September. It featured a list of digital resources the libraries offer patrons. Additionally, the ad had a QR code linking to BNSFlibraries.com to direct patrons to their home library’s website. Some libraries chose to link to a Commuter page, others to their digital resources page, and some to their homepage. Each library’s logo was featured on the ad. The A/B ad featured two different headlines, “Skip the Subscriptions!” and “Entertainment On-The-Go.” 

To supplement the printed ad, we made Canva templates for posters and brochures so libraries could add their library’s branding and specific offerings. Outreach events were held at the train stations by at least two libraries (HPL and DGPL) to help facilitate card registrations.  

Feedback regarding the ad was overwhelmingly positive. Much of the evidence of the print ad’s effectiveness could not be fully captured, as many patrons likely directly accessed their home library’s website, or began using their libraries’ digital resources more often. However, data was still captured regarding the QR codes and interactions on the BNSFlibraries page. During the month of the ad, over 100 QR code scans, and by the end of the year (some of the ads stayed up longer than the four weeks we purchased), over 1,700 link clicks were recorded on the BNSFlibraries.com website.  

Overall, this collaboration was a huge success. Not only was there an increased awareness of library resources, but multiple new initiatives grew from this project. The libraries along the UP West Metra line have been coordinating to run a similar ad this year; the newly formed RAILS Library Marketing Meetup Networking Group was created in response to the collaborative ad; and the BNSF libraries are continuing their partnership with Metra to see how else we can share resources with riders.  

*Participating libraries: 

Today's blog post was written by John Kokoris, Marketing/Outreach Manager at Hinsdale Public Library.  

This project was made possible by the My Library Is... Grant.