Books
A Library in Texas, Minus the...Books. It's Coming
If your idea of a proper library involves comfy chairs, rows of hardcover books, and perhaps even an outdated card filing system in the corner, then I suggest you avoid San Antonio this fall. Bexar County is launching an entirely paperless library system to supplement the existing city libraries. According to the LA Times , eschewing print books, the $1.5-million BiblioTech project will have 100 e-readers for loan with 10,000 digital titles that can be checked out from your couch. The creator of the system, Nelson Wolff, says the library will have a similar feel to an Apple Store. (Because, naturally, that's the first thing I want to associate with my local library.)
Wolff is not the first to create a digital-only library. The paperless library at the University of Texas-San Antonio is thriving, while similar branches in Calif. and Ariz. have added traditional print books for loan in response to community complaints about the paperless branches.
If you aren’t sold on the e-book revolution and still want an alternative library experience, try visiting the Library Lawn, an outdoor, pop-up library on New York's Governor’s Island sponsored by the New York Public Library. (Click through for the pic–it's a can't-miss.) New book + summer breeze beats staring into the depths of the Interwebs, at least for this writer.
