First Bookless Library Opens in Texas
January 31, 2014
I’ll never forget the library at my former university. It was huge, and old, and full of treasures just waiting to be discovered. Often, when doing specific research, I’d steal a few moments to wander the stacks, pulling out books at near-random. The books’ different colors, textures, sizes, and degrees of wear piqued my curiosity, and I made a number of valuable, serendipitous discoveries. I’m sorry to report that such musty but magnificent experiences are now just a little closer to extinction. Slashdot announces to the “First U.S. Public Library with No Paper Books Opens in Texas.”
A user known as Cold Fjord writes:
“Bexar Country in Texas has opened a new $2.3 million library called BiblioTech. It doesn’t have physical books, only computers and e-reader tablets. It is the first bookless public library system in the U.S. The library opened in an area without nearby bookstores, and is receiving considerable attention. It has drawn visitors from around the U.S. and overseas that are studying the concept for their own use. It appears that the library will have more than 100,000 visitors by year’s end. Going without physical books has been cost effective from an architecture standpoint, since the building doesn’t have to support the weight of books and bookshelves.”
Ah well, I suppose it was just a matter of time. At least this development is good news for the trees.
Cynthia Murrell, January 31, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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One Response to “First Bookless Library Opens in Texas”
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Actually there have been several bookless libraries opened even before Texas…and I believe the Texas one was opened last year.
It may indeed be the first ‘in Texas’ bookless Library, but not the first in the nation.
http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/education/6-bookless-libraries/