A photo of inside the LV and a headline: "This is your sign to Check Out Your Library"

On the Road

What you might’ve missed on the first “Check Out Your Library Fiction & Film tour”

Summer 2024 was one for the books! We hit the road with the first-ever Fiction & Film tour, zig-zagging across the U.S. on a mission to reconnect communities with their local libraries. Readers, film lovers, writers, creators, and families all joined us to Check Out Your Library!

From the Arizona desert to the Ohio farmlands, librarians at every stop helped spread the word about these safe, cozy, welcoming spaces right in your neighborhood. OverDrive’s 53-foot Library Vehicle, known as “the LV,” invited curious visitors aboard to sign up for a library card, sample an ebook or audiobook, take a book & film personality quiz, or snag some free swag.

Through rain and shine, traffic and mechanical issues, new library card holders were signed up, awareness of free library resources grew, and residents were reminded of the magic waiting in their local branches.

The LB at Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival — The LV spreads library magic at Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival in Cañon City, CO.

Highlights from our trip

From cozy reading nooks to live Q&A sessions with celebrated authors, check out the highlights from a few of our major stops:

📍 Las Vegas, NV | AREA15

The tour kicked off in Las Vegas with an immersive event at AREA15 that featured a Silent Storytime with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, a “Silent Stories” reading from acclaimed narrator Julia Whelan, club music, an AI photo booth, and more.

COYL Vegas Storytime — A librarian from the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District dazzled kids with a Silent Storytime.

📍 Charlotte, NC | Truist Field

Another fun-filled stop in Charlotte took us to Protagonist Brewery which included an exclusive book reading from author Emily Farris, a Charlotte Knights baseball game, a TV interview, a workout at the YMCA, and so much library love from Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library and School District.

Baseball at COYL event in Charlotte — Baseball fans stopped to check out all the free perks from their local library.

📍 Chicago, IL | The Enterrium

Movie lovers munched on free popcorn during the community screening of Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game at this stop in Schaumburg, IL. With giveaways, app demos, library card sign-ups, and more, cinephiles learned about all the free streaming movies available on Kanopy from the Morris Area Public Library and the Niles-Maine District Library.

A community screening of Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game — The #BigMovieWatch pick, “Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game,” got a high score from moviegoers.

Stats & milestones

A huge thank you to every library and librarian who made this tour unforgettable! Your support, enthusiasm, and love for libraries inspired new visitors everywhere.

This isn’t goodbye!

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, or subscribe to Libby Life for updates. You can also visit checkoutyourlibrary.com for more information on next year’s Film & Fiction tour—coming to a city near you!

✨ Even though this year’s tour is over, the fun doesn’t stop here. Be sure to #CheckOutYourLibrary for the next chapter of free entertainment.

Published Oct 21, 2024

About the Author

Annie Suhy has been working in the book industry since 2006. When she’s not working, practicing yoga, or petting cats, she’s doing paint-by-numbers and buying more plants. An avid poetry fan, her favorite collection is "The Splinter Factory" by Jeffrey McDaniel.