Can a Library be Bookless?

Nelson Wolff thinks so! The judge and book lover from Bexar County, Texas, was inspired while reading Steve Job's biography to create the first library system that has no books whatsoever:

Wolff and other county leaders will announce plans to launch the nation's first bookless public library system, BiblioTech, with a prototype location on the South Side opening in the fall. “If you want to get an idea what it looks like, go into an Apple store,” Wolff said.

Inspired while reading Apple founder Steve Jobs' biography, Wolff said he envisions several bookless libraries around the county, including in far-flung suburbs. “It's not a replacement for the (city) library system, it's an enhancement [...] People are always going to want books, but we won't be doing that in ours,” Wolff said.

Read more over at My San Antonio: Link - via Dezeen

What do you think, Neatoramanauts? Is a library without books still a library?




To answer the question: where there is a librarian in action, there is a library. Books are optional.

Bookless libraries are actually fairly common. They're good. But I offer this note of caution: promoters should not confuse their own level of technological access and that of their patrons. E-books and other electronic resources are awesome, but if a large part of your patron base lacks substantial computer skills, let alone access to e-readers, then realize that you are leaving those people behind.
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For research I will miss books in a library, there was usually one good book to reference that I found only because I was looking at all the other books near that one I was going for.

Would be interested in seeing what the late/damaged charge would be for those e-readers.
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What an oddly-written article. It was halfway down the page when they finally mentioned what the library WILL offer -ebooks (except for a mention of helping kids with homework). So it's really not a "bookless" library, but an "electronic library."
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