A children's book publisher has come out with an app that sounds like a sort of instant Netflix for books - or perhaps like a cable channel. A paid library. Why would this catch on, when we have such a long-standing tradition of free libraries? Well... because it's convenient. And because it just might have a better selection.
Libraries are slow to adapt ebooks for many reasons. Publishers are fighting them. Budgets are limited. And after all, isn't community space part of the idea of a library? Some librarians may find it hard to reconcile this idea with large investment in ebooks. Certainly, my own library recently chose to invest in a bigger, more open open building, with more comfortable seating, rather than extending its collection. And frankly, I like the result.
But that brings us back to digital libraries. Is that the direction public libraries are headed? Academic libraries, probably, but not necessarily the public ones; it just doesn't fit the traditional use of a public library. Anyone should be able to come read - even without the money for a computer or ereader. And librarians should be eager to help reluctant readers, not cautious about loaning out expensive equipment. Plus the location itself is almost as important as the collection.
So is there a place for a paid, digital library in the future? I think perhaps there is.
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