Uploaded November 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Art director Hollie Belton has something up her sleeve. And that something is shaped a lot like a book. Wait. That’s totally a book.
Founder of Books on the Underground, a book-sharing initiative that exists entirely on the subways of Great Britain’s capital, this Londoner is living and breathing proof that the what’s-mine-is-yours economy (you know, the one where we accept rides from strangers and crash in each other’s spare rooms) is in the hands of the people.
Hollie’s idea of swapping paperbacks has travelled the world over, with variations popping up in D.C., New York, and now the Windy City with “Books on the L,” a Chi-town iteration created in partnership with Chicago Ideas Week.
Watch to learn how Hollie took an overwhelming commute and turned it into an excuse to share, getting all of the Underground to read alongside her.
Special thanks: Quimby’s Bookstore.
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About LB Sidenotes: A documentary-style series produced by Leo Burnett, LB Sidenotes investigates and celebrates the non-work lives of the agency's employees.
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Follow Leo Burnett:
Twitter: twitter.com/leoburnett
Facebook: facebook.com/leoburnett
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/leo-burnett
Google+: google.com/+leoburnett
Instagram: instagram.com/leoburnett
Art director Hollie Belton has something up her sleeve. And that something is shaped a lot like a book. Wait. That’s totally a book.
Founder of Books on the Underground, a book-sharing initiative that exists entirely on the subways of Great Britain’s capital, this Londoner is living and breathing proof that the what’s-mine-is-yours economy (you know, the one where we accept rides from strangers and crash in each other’s spare rooms) is in the hands of the people.
Hollie’s idea of swapping paperbacks has travelled the world over, with variations popping up in D.C., New York, and now the Windy City with “Books on the L,” a Chi-town iteration created in partnership with Chicago Ideas Week.
Watch to learn how Hollie took an overwhelming commute and turned it into an excuse to share, getting all of the Underground to read alongside her.
Special thanks: Quimby’s Bookstore.
//
About LB Sidenotes: A documentary-style series produced by Leo Burnett, LB Sidenotes investigates and celebrates the non-work lives of the agency's employees.
//
Follow Leo Burnett:
Twitter: twitter.com/leoburnett
Facebook: facebook.com/leoburnett
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/leo-burnett
Google+: google.com/+leoburnett
Instagram: instagram.com/leoburnett
