Bookless Library

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Bexar-set-to-turn-the-page-on-idea-of-books-in-4184940.php#ixzz2JUmyqnAb

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/2013/01/21/maverick-libraries/ 

      Bexar County has announced their plan to build the nation’s first bookless library on the county’s south side in the fall. County Judge Nelson W. Wolff believes that paper books have lost their allure and future generations may have little use for them. The bookless library was inspired by the local UTSA engineering library, which went bookless in 2010. The public library system will be called “BiblioTech” and Wolff hopes for it to have a floor layout similar to Apple Stores. At this library, residents will be able to check out one of 100 e-readers available for home use. Although the city has been providing library services to the county, it recently upped the tab from $3.7MM to $6.7MM- the highest city-county bill in the nation.  

      With the high cost of the library, is this really necessary in the Southside area? Personally, I feel that there are other needs that should be attended to rather than making an expensive, bookless library. Why not make a less expensive library that incorporates e-readers, but will not hurt the pocket book? We discussed this article in one of my classes and we came to the conclusion that this could be a political move. Maybe they are using this expensive bookless library to push “Pre-K for SA” in some way? Either way, I feel that this money spent on a bookless library could be spent somewhere else, but nonetheless a library like this is inevitable in this technological era.

      What does this have to do with civic engagement? I feel that as a resident of Bexar County, our perspective in this is crucial. If I feel that this library is too expensive, I must take action and start a petition or go make a visit to County Judge Nelson.