Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The 1st Bookless Public Library in the USA!

Yes, you read correctly, the first book-less public library will be opening in San Antonio Texas this fall. There will ONLY be e-books, no physical books to check out!

In Joana Stern's article for ABC News, titled The First Bookless Public Library: Texas to Have BiblioTech, she writes:
The 4,989 square-foot space will look like a modern library, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who was inspired to pursue the project after reading Walter Issacson's Steve Jobs biography, told ABC News. (A glance at the photo shows that its inspired by Apple in more ways than one.) Instead of aisles and aisles of books there will be aisles and aisles of computers and gadgets. At the start, it will have 100 e-readers available for circulation and to take out, and then 50 e-readers for children, 50 computer stations, 25 laptops and 25 tablets on site.
 Click on above link to read the full story!

So, what do you think of a book-less public library? Are you excited about using one in the future? Do you think book-less libraries are the way of the future?

As someone who already owns and reads both physical and e-books, I'm warming up to the idea of a public library going completely book-less. It's progressive and the way the future seems to be going. 

Will I miss traditional libraries filled with physical books? You betcha! I'm hoping the traditional library filled with physical books doesn't disappear altogether! I think there is a place for libraries filled with physical books as well as e-books. 

Ideally, I'd like a public library that is a good blend of both physical books & e-books, as I do still read physical books too... Probably more physical books than e-books if the truth be told.

2 comments:

  1. This makes me incredibly sad. I hate the idea and think that taking up space for a library that is bookless is a waste of space.

    I used to want to get my MLS and work as a librarian, but more and more, I'm glad I didn't.

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    1. Funny, I also wanted to earn my MLS and become a librarian or archivist. I still think it may be a worthwhile option to become a librarian.

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