Libraries on Union Pacific West Line unite for ‘Next Stop: The Library’ transit campaign

The public libraries located on the Union Pacific West line have collaborated to produce a series of ads on Metra train cars on the Union Pacific West line to encourage riders to make their next stop the public library.

“The Next Stop: The Library” campaign will include quarterly ads to help people remember that public libraries are community resources where you can meet people in your community, learn a new skill, find an indoor space to play and learn, and try a new hobby. As part of the coordinated effort, the design was created by Gabriela Denton, the graphic designer at Oak Park Public Library.

“The people commuting into and out of the city on the UP-W line ride by more than 16 opportunities to learn and grow in their surrounding communities,” said Dawn Bussey, executive director of Glen Ellyn Public Library. “As public libraries, we want to make sure that the people who live, laugh, play, work, shop, and eat in these communities know that they are welcome at the library, whatever their needs.”

“The libraries on this train line care about the community and want to encourage people to think about the library when they are looking for programs and resources in their daily lives,” Bussey said. “We want the ‘Next Stop: Your Library’ campaign to bring people into our spaces. Ads will run from March 2026 through early 2027 and will evolve as we get feedback and try to measure how the people who see the ads interact with them.”

The libraries participating in the “Next Stop: The Library” campaign include Oak Park, River Forest, Maywood, Melrose Park, Bellwood, Berkeley, Elmhurst, Villa Park, Helen Plum (Lombard), Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, and Winfield public libraries and West Chicago, Geneva, and Town and Country (Elburn and La Fox) public library districts.

“Each library has its own personality and specific offerings, but we all want to reach out to serve our communities in relevant ways where they are — and sometimes, they are on the train!,” Bussey said.

Public libraries serve as vital community hubs offering free access to information, education, and resources, fostering literacy and lifelong learning for all ages. Core functions include lending books and digital materials, providing internet/technology access, hosting educational programs (storytime, workshops), and acting as safe, inclusive public spaces.