Jonathan Takiff, *Daily News Columnist* Commuters waiting for a train in Suburban Station now have a stimulating new way to pass the time – downloading e-books, audio books and podcasts which they can then enjoy while riding the train, relaxing at home, wherever.. Sponsored by the Free Library of Philadelphia, SEPTA and Dunkin Donuts, the month long “Enrich Your Ride with Reading” project is billed as "the first Virtual Library in the U.S". (there’s also one in Budapest) and coincides with National Library Month. To lure you in, all advertising signage on the Suburban Station train platforms is now touting these free offerings - actually a small sample of the 80,000 e-books, 8,000 audio books and thousand plus podcasts available to card holders at freelibrary.org. The graphics for each sign-touted classic, best seller and podcast includes a QR (quick response) code symbol, Just open a QR application (free to download) on your smart phone or tablet then point your device’s camera to frame and capture the QR image. Within a minute or less, the book or podcast automatically loads onto your device. And even if using an Android or Apple iOS device (like an iPod Touch) that’s lacking mobile phone service, you can use the free Wi-Fi available on the train station platforms to enable the download. . User note: if you don’t see a book or podcast you want on the first billboard, look for a second sign further down the platform packing a different set of offerings. Also be forewarned - as the Free Library leases only a limited number of licenses for current e-book titles, you may not be able to download the one you want, instantly. If not, you’ll be put on a wait list then duly informed with a email message when a download is available, explained library communications and brand marketing director Alix Gerz. These electronic “loaners” usually expire after three weeks, but are renewable.. Current best sellers range from “Defending Jacob” by William Landay, “The Dinner” by Herman Koch and “Tenth of December” by George Saunders to children’s books like “Fast Train, Slow Train” and “Bears in the Night.“ The public domain classics – available in unlimited quantities – include Camden transplant Walt Whitman’s classic collection of poems “Leaves of Grass,” Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables,” “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” and “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.” Authors ruminating outloud on podcasts (all recorded at the Free Library’s popular guest speaker series) range from Dave Barry to Jennifer Weiner, Madeleine Albright to Colin Powell. -- Warm regards. Jayadev P Hiremath Independent Libraries Professional (Former Librarian - IBS,Kuwait) E-mail : jayadevh@hotmail.com LinkedIn : http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jayadev-p-hiremath/44/12a/2a0 Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/people/Jayadev-P-Hiremath/603802230 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.