NYT Features Philly Airport Library

Part of a growing trend, nationally.

The New York Times features the newest branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia—at the airport:

The Free Library of Philadelphia recently opened an outpost in the Philadelphia International Airport in the form of a book-themed lounge with free Wi-Fi access to the library’s digital catalog.

Passengers are encouraged to relax in the reading room, in the concourse between the D and E terminals, and download books or author podcasts from the library’s collection of nearly 30,000 titles.

“We brought our high-speed line out to the airport in that little area. That Internet connectivity is extraordinarily robust, it matches what we have in the library,” said Siobhan Reardon, president and director of the Free Library.

The airport branch (which started over the summer) even has librarians on hand to answer questions and process applications for library cards—free for city residents, $50 for out-of-staters.