E.B. White ~ Letter About Libraries

Via @JohnFugelsang on Twitter. I wonder what Mr. White would make of the internet, or ebooks? And hey kids, in case you think this letter looks strange, it was done on an old-fashioned typewriter.

Too Modern for Me ~ A Library Without Books?

The first "library without books" has opened in San Antonio, Texas. Maybe the time has come for such a place, with so many people preferring homes without dusty bookshelves and their heart's desire on a Kindle Reader, but this story actually fills my heart with a sad autumnal longing for the old days. It worries me that libraries could actually become obsolete, or merely jobbers and distributors for eBook or textbook companies.

I'm not sure most people want that yet, or ever. Even the generation of my children grew up hugging their favorite Harry Potter or Narnia book. Will school bookfairs become obsolete as well? Oh, I hope not.

At my age, I'm doomed to be old-fashioned.

Via SmartPlanet

Bexar County, Texas is set to open the first bookless public library system in the United States. And, yes, it’s an actual brick and mortar library — or series of libraries throughout the county — without physical books, called BiblioTech.

“If you want to get an idea what it looks like, go into an Apple store,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff told The San Antonio Express.


In addition to the tech-heavy library, residents will be able to check out e-readers for two weeks, after which the device is unusable. Residents with e-readers can remotely access the library’s collection. The first location is scheduled to open this summer.

“[I]t should not be seen as a replacement to the traditional library,” Judge Wolff said in a statement. “It is an enhancement to the current system to which all County residents have access. The ever changing landscape of technology means that literacy is no longer about picking up a physical book and being able to comprehend the words; technology is changing the way we read, learn and thrive as citizens of the 21st Century.”

From Texas Monthly

Bexar County is not the first district that has tried to ditch books. The Tuscon-Pima Public Library system in Arizona opened a book-free branch in 2002, aiming to bring computer access to an area in need. However, after six years, the community demanded books and was granted its request. Two years ago, Newport, California pondered a bookless library that would serve as a community center and still offer books through a Netflix-esque system, but the plan was quickly quashed by public outcry.
Academic libraries have met more success. Nearby University of Texas at San Antonio has had an entirely digital library since 2010, and “the students love it,” according to Library Dean Krisellen Maloney.
In addition to the protest of physical book-lovers, an obstacle to the project is copyright technicalities. Major publishers, such as Penguin, have been hesitant to electronically partner with libraries, PCWorld notes. In 2011, Penguin pulled its e-books from libraries for security reasons. 

Fighting the Anti-Literates of Society

There's plenty of political stupidity to go around these days, and many city and county governments are at the mercy of anti-intellectual politicians who cut library services without giving it much thought.

Here's a story about the city of Troy, Michigan, and the way they fought back to save their library. They had to shock people into awareness in a grassroots effort. I'm glad their story had a happy ending!