Forget books on wheels. Try books on rails: The CTA is being transformed into a mobile library.
As part of Chicago Ideas Week, Chicago ad agency Leo Burnett on Sunday started placing hundreds of books on "L" train seats across the system with the hope that riders take the books, read them and then return them to the "L."
The shared books, from various genres, are designated with yellow stickers.
"We're building a lot of momentum for [Chicago Ideas Week]," said Michael Cowen, Leo Burnett communications manager. Readers are encouraged to use #BooksOnTheL to discuss their experiences.
Chicago Ideas Week, a collection of discussions designed to inspire Chicagoans to innovate, runs Oct. 13-19. Tech, business and civic leaders engage in the talks, which are open to the public but typically cost money.
Cowen said Leo Burnett got the idea for the book-share through similar programs in London, New York and Washington, D.C. The ad firm has 500 books, all donated from publishers and authors, and hopes to increase that number through more donations, Cowen said.
Twenty-five of these books also will have a "golden ticket," which allows the reader to attend a Chicago Ideas Week talk by that book's author.
Authors slated to appear at Chicago Ideas Week include Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, who wrote "Zero to One: Notes on Startups or How to Build the Future," and journalist Ron Suskind, who wrote "Life, Animated."