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A library without books?
The University of Texas is going bookless:
When students wander into the former undergraduate library at the University of Texas this fall, gone will be the "Quiet Please" signs, the ban on cheeseburgers or sodas, the sight of solemn librarians restocking books.So can it still be called a library? UT administrators don't seem to think so:The fact is, there will be no more books to restock. The UT library is undergoing a radical change, becoming more of a social gathering place more akin to a coffeehouse than a dusty, whisper-filled hall of records. And to make that happen, the undergraduate collection of books had to go.
This summer, 90,000 volumes were transferred to other collections in the campus's massive library system - leaving some to wonder how a library can really be a library if it has no tomes.
So to ease some of the apprehension, administrators took the word "library" out of their vocabulary when referring to the Flawn Academic Center. When classes start Aug. 31, it will be filled with colorful overstuffed chairs for lounging, barstools for people watching, and booths for group work. In addition to almost 250 desktop computers, there will be 75 laptops available for checkout, wireless Internet access, computer labs, software suites, a multimedia studio, a computer help desk and repair shop, and a cafe.I use the internet far more than I ever use a library these days, but I miss the serendipity of wandering the stacks and happening upon a book that looks interesting to read. Though I may happen upon interesting things on the net, I'll seldom devote the time and patience to them that I would to a good book. I'd hate to think that pleasure is gone forever.