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Loans of books at Bibliometros or Metro Libraries may be also renewed by telephone
Twelve stations in the Metro network are provided with this library extension service. Yet another step has been taken to bring cultural services closer to Metro users. The service has 63,748 users and a stock of 97,532 copies of 974 different books.
In response to the ever-increasing number of users that has been observed since its establishment
in 2005, the Metro Library service, managed by the Autonomous Community and City Council of Madrid
now offers the possibility of renewing book loans by telephone, by calling 91 588 56 60 between 10
a.m. and 1 p.m.
This service, which offers the free loan of one book per reader for a maximum period of 15 days, renewable for a further 15, could previously only be renewed at the Metro Library modules in their regular working hours, Monday to Friday, from 1.30 p.m. to 8 p.m... To facilitate this service for metropolitan public transport users, first mailboxes were provided to enable users to return books at any time, and now the possibility is offered of renewing loan periods over the telephone.
Metro book loan points increased their activity by 30% in the first half of the year, achieving a figure of 61,606 loans between January and June, compared with the 47,087 recorded in the same period in 2008. The rise is connected with the increased number of titles placed at users’ disposal, at the rate of 50 new titles per quarter. Metro Libraries currently have 97,532 copies of 974 titles, whereas in July 2008 there were 800. These data show that the stock has risen by 20% in one year.
Bibliometro, which came into operation in 2005 with seven modules, is a library extension service, which involves the installation of free loan points in the Metro de Madrid network. Its main aim is to take advantage of the massive use of this transport system by Madrid residents in order, on the one hand, to encourage and facilitate reading and, on the other, to act as a link with the public libraries to extend their use in the community. This project, therefore, is included in the Reading Promotion Plan implemented by the Autonomous Community of Madrid in October 2006. Since 2008 and with the opening of the Metro Library at Chamartín Station, twelve underground stations are now provided with this service.
The project sprang from a specific cooperation agreement between the City Council and the Autonomous Community of Madrid, with the backing of Metro de Madrid. Thus, the Bibliometro card may be used at Public Libraries both of the City Council and of the Autonomous Community. The service is unrestricted and free.
This service, which offers the free loan of one book per reader for a maximum period of 15 days, renewable for a further 15, could previously only be renewed at the Metro Library modules in their regular working hours, Monday to Friday, from 1.30 p.m. to 8 p.m... To facilitate this service for metropolitan public transport users, first mailboxes were provided to enable users to return books at any time, and now the possibility is offered of renewing loan periods over the telephone.
Metro book loan points increased their activity by 30% in the first half of the year, achieving a figure of 61,606 loans between January and June, compared with the 47,087 recorded in the same period in 2008. The rise is connected with the increased number of titles placed at users’ disposal, at the rate of 50 new titles per quarter. Metro Libraries currently have 97,532 copies of 974 titles, whereas in July 2008 there were 800. These data show that the stock has risen by 20% in one year.
Bibliometro, which came into operation in 2005 with seven modules, is a library extension service, which involves the installation of free loan points in the Metro de Madrid network. Its main aim is to take advantage of the massive use of this transport system by Madrid residents in order, on the one hand, to encourage and facilitate reading and, on the other, to act as a link with the public libraries to extend their use in the community. This project, therefore, is included in the Reading Promotion Plan implemented by the Autonomous Community of Madrid in October 2006. Since 2008 and with the opening of the Metro Library at Chamartín Station, twelve underground stations are now provided with this service.
The project sprang from a specific cooperation agreement between the City Council and the Autonomous Community of Madrid, with the backing of Metro de Madrid. Thus, the Bibliometro card may be used at Public Libraries both of the City Council and of the Autonomous Community. The service is unrestricted and free.
The modules with the most loans
In the first six months of 2009, the modules that recorded the highest number of loans were the Moncloa and Nuevos Ministerios stations, with 10,557 and 9,133 loans, respectively.The stations for the opening of the Metro Library modules were chosen on the basis of a series of criteria, amongst which we may single out the high number of users, transfer between various Metro lines, or the existence of an interchanger (with Renfe or buses). Other criteria also taken into consideration were of an architectural or spatial nature, such as the availability of sufficient space between turnstiles and platforms so as to avoid user movement problems.
The Autonomous Community of Madrid manages six of these modules, those located at Carabanchel Alto, Sierra de Guadalupe, Puerta de Arganda, Mar de Cristal, Puerta del Sur and Chamartín. The other six, situated at Legazpi, Embajadores, Moncloa, Canal, Nuevos Ministerios and Aluche stations are managed by the Madrid City Council.
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