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Come Read With Me: Daytona Beach International Airport, Volusia County Public Library Team Up to Offer Passengers Free Books

Photo: Seven Shooter
Photo: Seven Shooter

Daytona Beach International Airport and the Volusia County Public Library have teamed up to offer free books and other reading materials to passengers. 

The program is called "Books on the Fly."

WMFE spoke with library director Lucinda Colee and airport spokesperson Joanne Magley about how the program makes flying and reading easier during the pandemic. 

Read the interview below. 

Danielle: And Lucinda with, with libraries closed and schools online, why is it important to get the flying public reading again?

Lucinda: Well, actually, I mean, our library is open. So we're open to the public. But we see this as an opportunity really, for us to connect with our community and drive new library card holders just, you know, folks are flying, maybe they haven't thought about the public library in awhile.

And this, this reminds them that, you know, we're a 21st century library.

So not only do we have physical books, but we offer a wide range of electronic materials that they can check out, you know, from their home, their office, even at the airport.

Danielle: And Joanne, we know that air travel's down right now. How does a program like this help the airport?

Joanne: A little over, maybe less than a year ago, we did a pop-up library event at the airport, so that we could showcase the library services for our residents, and even visitors that come into town. Because, as you may or may not know, the libraries have so many additional programs and services, then many people might remember if they haven't used their library in a long time.

So we showcase our local library services, but then it's also an amenity to our passengers that are flying out of the airport.

And Lucinda told me a story once of how there was a family that was here visiting. And because they saw the pop-up library there at the airport, it prompted them to make a call or make a stop into the library and really enhanced their family's trip while we were, while they were here.

So we are always striving at our airport to provide excellent customer experience. And programs like this. And now especially since this library program here is permanent, it's not a pop-up, it's actually permanent. We, it's just another way that we can extend that customer experience and make our passengers flying in and out just that much more, that much more satisfied.

Danielle: And do you think this is really the future of airports and libraries? I know you had said you had heard of other airports and libraries around the country that are doing similar things.

Joanne: I haven't heard of many. I've heard of maybe one other one.

And you know, it's airports are a place where people have to go if they're going to travel. And so airports want to do as much as they can to make that travel experience the best it can be.

So if the library in the airport is one way to do that, and because we have a great library system then yes, we do think that's the way to go. And it works. Again, it works great when you have a strong library system in your community.

Danielle: Any recommendations for books people should check out during the holidays, especially with Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa coming up?

Lucinda: Well, I think that they should keep their reading for the holidays light and entertaining. And if they're at the airport we have a lot of fiction titles available. And just something that will help them relax and, and keep their mind off of for a little bit all the pressing issues of the day.
Listen to the full conversation by clicking on the clip at the top of the page.

Danielle Prieur is WMFE's education reporter.