Publishing company HarperCollins said Thursday that it will create wireless hotspots in bookstores that don''t already have access for use by customers.

Currently, large bookstore chains, most notably Borders and Barnes & Noble, have in-store hotspots. HarperCollins said it will start a pilot program for providing free hotspots for other bookstores. It said that it expected to roll the service out more widely after the trial period. The program will be called HarperCollins Connects

"We are looking for new ways to partner with booksellers to learn more about consumers'' interests and buying habits, and to therefore sell more books," Jane Friedman, HarperCollins'' president and CEO, said in a statement. "HarperCollins Connects is one example of how we can work together for mutual benefit."

Under the program, the publisher will set up the hotspots in the bookstore. When users log on, they will see a landing page in their browser that is shared by both the publisher and the bookstore.

"HarperCollins Connects is a win-win situation," Josh Marwell, the publisher''s president of sales, said in a statement. "We believe that a wireless internet connection may give consumers a reason to make the bookstore a destination, increasing store traffic and leading to book sales."