Monday, January 14, 2013

Bexar County to Build Nation's First E-Library... and it Looks Like an Apple Store

by Caleb Smith

In an effort to keep our increasingly tech-oriented generation at least slightly literate, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has announced plans for BiblioTech (yes, a pun on the Spanish word), the United States' first all-digital public library system. This move to a paper-less society has been played with on several occasions. For instance, Newport Beach, California made an attempt to go bookless in 2011, but after protests from residents, the plans were abandoned. It seems that this environmentally-friendly dream will finally become a reality in the near future. The new BiblioTech library, housed in a remodled office building, will feature e-readers that can be checked out, and e-books that expire after two weeks of downloading. While construction budgets are still up in the air, and no building date has been set, the design is more or less decided.

Judge Wolff was supposedly "inspired" by reading Steve Jobs' biography, and is eager to jump on the Apple bandwagon by designing the first e-library similar to an Apple store, complete with Macintosh-related hardware. So, for those of you who are reminded of an alien spaceship or a mental institution whenever you go into that squeaky-clean white hallway with no windows (yes, that was another pun), then ye be warned! Plans to begin construction sometime this year are chugging along, and Bexar County will be sure to alert the press with any update. Let's just hope Apple doesn't sue them over this one.

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