UConn plans a bike-sharing test program in the next few months, in which anyone with a current UConn identification could borrow one of 20 bicycles at the Homer Babbidge Library.
The Undergraduate Student Government purchased the bikes. If the pilot program is successful, more bicycles will be purchased.
I wonder if this was a library idea supported by the student government or if the student government approached the library. Either way, I’m into it.
Other bike related stuff here at Walking Paper:
– Reading Rickshaw +
– P+ Bike System
– Libraries can Learn from Rivendell Bicycle Works
I believe it was the SGA’s idea. I heard that David Avery from UCONN spoke about it at a program in October but I don’t see it mentioned in his notes.
I’m thinking about circulating cell phone chargers in our library.
One of our Syracuse Univ. iSchool students did a project plan, marketing plan and assessment plan last spring related to the BikeShare program at UConn. Nothing I saw at the time mentioned the SGA being involved in it. It sounded like a wonderful idea and I’m glad to hear that they have implemented it!
At the Xiamen University-Zhangzhou Campus, the students there administer a free bike program by color coding. Faculty and staff get to use the best bikes, and students use the so-so bikes. All free of charge, the only catch is you cannot take it outside campus (theirs is an enclosed campus.)
Please see our blog post at: http://horner2010.wordpress.com/page/4/
In fact, bike lending/renting is a very common practice in some Chinese and European cities. It should work well in a campus environment.