BiblioTech
is a new library in Texas, but you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise. The
library houses no physical books.
Staffers
at San Antonio's BiblioTech say it's the first "bookless library."
And in addition to its catalog of 10,000 e-books, this techy library also
provides a digital lifeline to a low-income neighborhood that sorely needs it.
BiblioTech
opened its doors Sept. 14 on the south side of San Antonio, a mostly Hispanic
neighborhood where 40% of households don't have a computer and half lack
broadband Internet service.
Although
the library houses no printed books -- and members can even skip the visit by
checking out its e-books online -- BiblioTech's staff says the library's
physical presence is still key to its success.
"We're
finding that you really have to get your head around a paradigm shift," said
Laura Cole, BiblioTech's special projects coordinator. "Our digital
library is stored in the cloud, so you don't have to come in to get a book. But
we're a traditional library in that the building itself is an important
community space."
From cnn
From cnn
