A Glimpse at the Future
A new library opened up recently in San Antonio, Texas.
It has no shelves and no books.
It is an all digital library.
It has 10,000 free e-books and each can be checked out for 14 days. The 3M Cloud Library app, which can be linked to a person’s library card, includes a counter which shows the number of days left before the e-book is “returned” to the library, that is, it is no longer available to the person who checked it out two weeks earlier.
This is not to say that the library has only a large computer. It occupies about five thousand square feet of space. This houses, among other things, six hundred e-readers and forty-eight computer stations. So, if you do not have an e-reader; you can go to the library and read books on one of the library’s e-readers. They do have some e-readers that can be checked out along with the book.
The library also has comic books and graphic novels, magazines, audio books, movies, and music. Through a program called Mango, one can take classes in over sixty foreign languages.
The library also gives various programs,
such as a kid’s story time, hands-on computer classes, and other programs. You can even reserve a room for a meeting, making it a great place to have writers’ groups. Just no paper books.
This is not actually a new concept. Arizona’s Santa Rosa Branch Library tried this as far back as 2002. But after a few years, residents demanded to have paper books back – and they got them.
There are some who feel the San Antonio experiment is still premature. There are still many people who prefer the paper books. Others are simply not technologically literate enough to benefit from such a library.
Then there’s the cost. Training enough people to run the library and instruct patrons might become too expensive. And some feel there is not enough digital material available yet to warrant such a move. Many best sellers do not go to digital for a year or more, thus making them unavailable at this library for an extended period of time.
One library expert predicts that, on average, perhaps only one percent of libraries per year will go all digital for the next ten years.
However, academic libraries are moving in this direction at a faster rate. The engineering and technology library at the University of Texas moved to e-books and e-journals in 2010. These have the advantage of being available 24/7.
But, all arguments aside, San Antonio is making a library for the future. Judge Nelson Wolff, of Bexar County said, “A technological evolution is taking place. And I think we’re stepping in at the right time.”
It’s what our great-grandchildren will believe is the norm. Paper books? Antiques.
I’ll be writing more on digital libraries in the future. They are coming. I’m Ready. All my mysteries novels and suspense novels are in paper and e-book format. Two of my latest are:
A Ton of Gold on Amazon at: http://amzn.to/12PeHJb and
Nook at: http://bit.ly/1kM7p1M
and Cleansed by Fire — on Amazon at: http://amzn.to/XwCIgs
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Very interesting blog, Jim. You posted another version of this and I feel now as I did then — in agreement with Marni Graff. I know we should be progressive as we move through the century but, hey, I just agreed to start texting, which I swore I wouldn’t do. Maybe I’ll come around to liking the new technology in libraries in time.
You’re ahead of me. I refuse to text. I’m for adding in the new technology in libraries, but keep the good old paper books around – at least during my life time. I’d miss the paper books, but I doubt my grandchildren would miss them at all. Thanks for the comment, Eileen
I like the idea of an all digital library, but I want it to come to us gradually so people who want paper can still get it. I suspec tthat in ten years, many people won’t even understand my comment.
I think it will move a little slower than that. Libraries have a lot invested in paper and seem to be at low funding currently. Of course, that low funding might actually speed things up. At any rate, I’m going to do another post on the digital library and perhaps I can shed a little more light on the future. Thanks for you comment.
Quite interesting. I’m fighting this change in the way we view and use a library. Although every single study I’ve read in the last four years clearly confirms digital sales are stronger than hard copy sales. I guess I’ve drawn a line in the sand; however, and if one of these gets talked about in my hometown, I’ll fight it tooth and nails. I really think hard copies should always be around…forever. As a writer looking for ways to get the word out about my novels I have to at least understand and maybe even embrace this change, but it doesn’t mean I’ll like it.
I love paper books and hope they stay around. And they will – for my life time. But for my grandchildren, they will be “those old things my grandparents used.” The youngest generation are being raised on digital. Yesterday, I saw a couple with a small baby. The baby’s play toy? A smart phone playing some colorful cartoon. I thought, if it only had a pacifier attached to it, what else would they need? Progress.
Hi, Jim. I love the idea, but I also love my print books. I hope we find a way to keep both. But then, I’ll only be around another 20 or so years…. 🙂 Sylvia
Paper books will last your lifetime – and mine. But a few generations down the road, they will be antiques and revered as they were many generations before us. Thanks for stopping by. And hold on to those paper books.
Hi Jim,
Interesting. I imagine another benefit is you never have to worry about the book you want being “checked out” and unavailable. Like you, I think traditional libraries will be around for a long time, but as publishing moves forward, so does the way we read.
Not quite true. The Library buys N copies of the digital book. So, they can only lend out a maximum of N copies at the same time. That makes it a little better for the author. High demand – then the library need to buy ore electronic copies.
But, you don’t have to worry about having a book overdue. Why? Because when you time is up (usually two weeks), the book disappears off your electronic reader.
Thanks for stopping by. And when is Buzzard Bait coming out?
Very interesting but kind of sad. What about the smell of the ink on paper, the tactile feel of holding a book in your hands? HUGE SIGH. There IS a place for e-readers–I just picture a future without a solid book in my hands~
You okay. I’m sure regular, good old paper books will be around — for awhile. And there are many of us who agree with you. But, like the 8-tracks and the cassettes, …
Thanks for stopping by.
I see this as a step into the future. Add a POD machine to produce print books, and it could well be the bookstore of the future.
You’re right, Earl. And the POD machines are getting cheaper, so I expect that will be the trend. I’d sell my stock in B & N – if I had any. Thanks for stopping by.