In a recent article written by the San Antonio Express News, Bexar County judge Nelson Wolff shared the proposed plans to launch the very first bookless library system to a county that lacks a library system all together.[i] Up to this point, Bexar County had been paying the San Antonio County $3.7 million a year so that its residents could use San Antonio’s library resources, but this year they would have to pay $6.7 million.  Faced with such a costly situation, Wolff set out to find the most efficient way to create a library system for his residents. In the article, Wolff is quoted, “We wanted to find a low-cost, effective way to bring reading and learning to the county and also focus on the change in the world of technology.”

For a county in such dire financial circumstances, this proposition is incredibly promising. The proposal revolves around creating a library specifically for the digital age as opposed to simply adapting an existing library. Despite the existence of bookless libraries,“BiblioTech” as it will be named, will the first of its kind in the United States as a county-wide system. Bibliotech will have no print legacy and will be the first to be entirely bookless from the very start. Having a prototype location in San Antonio Texas it will be offering its patrons the ability to check out books through their own e-readers, and if needed can even borrow one of their library’s 150 e-readers.

In the past there have been other attempts to create bookless libraries, but something has never worked quite right.  In one example the public didn’t have enough computer access to successfully use the library, and in another case the public was simply against it.  In 2002, Tucson-Pima Public Library in Arizona opened a branch that was planned to offer only e-books, but due to community demand the library  soon began stocking printed text as well.  In 2011, Newport Beach considered closing its city’s library and replacing it with a community center-like branch where people could visit and read, but not where physical books would be found. Due to community outcry, the plan was scrapped. In Bexar’s case, the community welcomes and supports the bookless proposal. Instead of reacting with doubt and fear, community members are looking forward to how their library system will be set up and what resources will be available to them.  Residents are ready to be involved in the development of an incredibly modern library system and are excited to see how they will benefit from this new way of interacting with text.

Times have changed, libraries are evolving and traditional ideals of what a library should be are changing. Perhaps, the world isn’t ready for all libraries to be bookless,but just as there are different community needs, there should also be appropriate libraries to suit those needs. It will be interesting to watch Bexar County’s bookless public library system evolve over the years.

The post BiblioTech – An Entirely Bookless Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

A library system can have a treasure of information and resources at the disposal of their patrons, however if the user is not able to successfully access any of them, then it only results in an ineffective system. Traditional library catalogs with their restrictive search fields and dated interface leave users with a frustrating experience that only encourages them to use outside search engines instead. In a time when Google seems to reign in its efficiency of serving as a single access point to an unfathomable amount of information,libraries have to prove themselves an authoritative and active participant in the information age.

It is important to be perceptive of these emerging changes to better understand our patrons and their needs. Library OPACs shouldn’t be used as a last resort for information retrieval, patrons should be able to feel comfortable enough to keep wanting to use them.Libraries have far too much information and resources to be considered a secondary searching option, which is not their purpose.

As we browse and search through our own OPACs we can notice and appreciate a smooth interface that allows us to interact and feel in control of our searches. OPACs now must offer us the visual aesthetics and strategic design that every other high functioning website can offer us. We expect it to look modern, to let us “like” it, add reviews, sample items, add tags, manage personal accounts and even browse items as if they were bookshelves! All from the comforts of our computers, tablets and even cell phones. These charismatic OPACs do exist, and are inviting, attractive and trust worthy but can only be considered truly successful if they keep the user wanting to come back.

The post Does Your OPAC Have Charisma? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Fortunately, a challenging financial situation like this can be a great opportunity for personal career development and also an opportunity to get really creative with resources for great library programming.  Budget cuts are only one of the many challenges that we might have to face within the library world, and just as with any other challenge, it’s all in how you approach it.

When it comes to materials for crafts or even displays, everyday household items can turn into unexpected resources.  Saving paper towel rolls, packaging paper, old holiday decorations, paper scraps, greeting cards and even old magazines is a great way to easily have a supply of materials available for creating crafts and displays around the library, without having to worry about making any big material purchases.  Besides being thrifty, recycling materials this way can show children that a lot of times unexpected things can have great potential, while at the same time help them develop fine motor skills.

Crafting, along with programming, should be an enjoyable experience and should not require a fabulous budget, just a little ingenuity and maybe even a bit of mouse clicking!  For the times when I’m low in creative ideas I like to visit the folks at Growing Up Creative, their fun blog posts offer ideas on how to use materials in interesting ways, such as with their paper roll wall art!  Another personal favorite is The Crafty Crow, their beautifully organized website lets you look through different categories to find the crafts that you’re looking for.  They even have a recycled materials category that lets you work with everyday household materials!  A great suggestion, if you haven’t joined already, is to sign up for a Pinterest account, the social bookmarking site that lets you browse through their plethora of images, including craft ideas.  I’m always pleasantly surprised at all the creative ideas that people have to share, especially when I can successfully incorporate them into the library setting.

Again, crafting doesn’t mean having to spend a wholesome amount on fancy construction paper, but really just working with what you do have, and how you can best include it in your library.  Happy crafting!

The post Crafting @ the Library (On a Budget) first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

It is not unheard of to see a patron walk out of a library because they feel uncomfortable within that space, or to see a child hesitate to pull out a book because they feel lacking in their reading skills. Everyone can feel insecure in an unfamiliar space, but with patience and careful coaxing it can become a pleasant new experience.

Working in an environment where we are constantly interacting with patrons from all walks of life, we are familiar with those that have stepped inside a library countless of times and see the library as a second home. They know exactly where to find reference help, where the nearest water fountain is and of course where their favorite mystery book is located.  With patrons completely comfortable with their branch, we sometimes have to take a step back and think of how they were able to get there. How were they able to develop those likes? What made them want to keep coming back?  For many, it was that very first visit as a child that influenced their ongoing relationship with libraries.

Do you remember your very first visit to a library? As adults we are comfortable with who we are, what movies we like, what music we like and what our favorite books are. Yet, we hardly give much thought to how we came to those likes, and of how we’ve been collecting memories and experiences as we’ve been growing up.

Recently while at my library, I overheard two little girls discussing their search for their favorite book.  One asked the other what the title was and the other answered that she didn’t have one yet, but knew that it would be somewhere in the library.  Listening to them made think back on my own relationship with libraries, especially public libraries, and I realized that my own love for them had a lot to do with those very first visits to my nearest branch.  I remember feeling incredibly welcomed, and noticing that the stacks were colorful and inviting. The librarian gave me the ease to browse without any pressure.  Some of my warmest childhood memories were within library walls and pages of  books, but it was thanks to the space and encouragement that was provided to me by welcoming library workers that I had the opportunity to create a healthy relationship with libraries.

As I heard this child say that she was looking for her favorite book and even though she didn’t have one yet, reminded me again of how wonderful a library is.  Libraries are much more than shelves filled with books, they’re a space for a child to create a memory, to provide an opportunity to find their favorite book and to learn about themselves.  We shouldn’t forget that, because who knows if a simple visit by a child to their library will become one of their warmest memories or favorite places in their lives. You never know.

The post Do You Remember Your First Library Visit? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.