‘Bookless libraries’ allow non-residents to use resources

June 5, 2013

We’ve written previously about San Antonio’s “bookless library,” a public library that will be filled with computers and e-books and allow residents to check out tablets and e-readers. The BiblioTech library system will be one of the world’s first, but definitely not be the last, as a BBC article explains that academic institutions are seeing the major benefits of having all digital resources.

One of the major advantages of having bookless libraries, as the BiblioTech’s project coordinator calls it, is that the resources can be accessed from all over the world. The location of the BiblioTech library system will be in an area that has never had a library before, a poor area of the city that will be able to help other areas access information.

This same idea, of making information digital, is particularly appealing to academic institutions. Imperial College in London is also moving to a digital format, as the school has stopped purchasing print textbooks and has made nearly all journal collections digital.

One of the reasons that having completely bookless libraries may not be taking off in other areas is the expenses, the article explained. For offices, or other organizations that deal with heavy volumes of books or paper, the cost of going paperless may also be what keeps others from going paperless. However, many times, a paperless office allows businesses to cut back on costs, with fewer printing, mailing and other expenses. To go paperless in a cost-efficient way, companies can partner with bulk scanning services to scan documents quickly and accurately, instead of wasting in-house resources.

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