The Bookless Library

By Betty Liu

In September of 2013, residents of Bexar County celebrated the opening of the BiblioTech Library. This new facility is completely digital, offering over 10,000 titles.1. facility:（特定用途的）設(shè)施title: 書，出版物。The library also offers 600 e-readers, 48 computer stations, as well as laptops and tablets. The BiblioTech Library is one of the first libraries in America to go completely digital and perhaps it will lead the way for others to follow.

To check out a book in this digital library, patrons2. patron: 顧客。link their library card to the 3M Cloud Library App. Through this, they can browse through the library catalogue and check out a total of five books at any given time. When the books are due3. due: 到期的。, they are automatically removed from the e-reader. Patrons can also check out e-readers, which have a 14 day check-out period. Some e-readers are classi fied as children’s e-readers and they come with 100 picture books already downloaded. BibloTech also offers free tablets, laptops, and computers which can be used within the library.

Libraries all over the country are making the change from print to digital.Where libraries used to be dominated by the presence of books, they are now turning into places for people to collaborate.4. 以前圖書館里擺滿了書籍，現(xiàn)在則變成人們互相協(xié)作的場(chǎng)所。BibloTech offers study rooms and lounge areas where people can work together and other libraries are also in on the trend5. on the trend: 追趕潮流。. For example, Chicago Public Library offers a program called YOUmedia, which offers space for teens to create digital content such as podcasts6. podcast: 播客，是數(shù)字廣播的一種。and video games. Libraries in other areas such as the District of Columbia and Columbus, Ohio are also condensing their libraries, creating all-digital areas and working space.7. 諸如哥倫比亞特區(qū)和俄亥俄州哥倫布市等地的圖書館也在精簡紙質(zhì)圖書數(shù)量，創(chuàng)建全數(shù)字區(qū)域和工作區(qū)。condense: 壓縮，精簡。

Despite the move towards digital, BibloTech is currently the only exclusively digital library in the nation. However, the bookless library has been attempted before when Arizona’s Santa Rosa Branch Library went all-digital in 2002. Sadly, this change proved to be far too ahead of its time. At the time, there were no Nooks, Kindles, or iPads and there was a meager selection of e-books available.8. 當(dāng)時(shí)還沒有Nook、Kindle或者iPad，可供選擇的電子書也非常少。Nook: 由美國最大的圖書零售企業(yè)Barnes &Noble公司發(fā)布的電子書閱讀器；Kindle: 由Amazon設(shè)計(jì)和銷售的電子書閱讀器。Within a few years, the library began providing printed materials along with the digital materials due to requests from the library members. Today, with technology being so integrated into our lives,the idea of a digital only library seems less radical.9. 如今，隨著技術(shù)越來越多地融入我們的生活，全數(shù)字化圖書館已不再是天方夜譚。integrate: 融入，結(jié)合；radical: 激進(jìn)的，極端的。There are many Americans who regularly use e-readers and the number of books available in digital format has increased drastically.

隨著科技的發(fā)展，數(shù)字化浪潮已經(jīng)席卷各個(gè)領(lǐng)域。圖書館就是數(shù)字化的最佳體現(xiàn)：紙質(zhì)圖書所占比例正逐漸下降，取而代之的是數(shù)字化圖書。也許再過幾十年紙質(zhì)圖書就會(huì)完全被數(shù)字化圖書取代，到時(shí)候你會(huì)不會(huì)懷念紙質(zhì)圖書拿在手里的質(zhì)感和油墨味道呢？

Libraries are in the middle of a great change. Besides the shift from print to digital, the focus of libraries has begun to shift as well. Just a decade ago, the main focus of a library was to lend materials to the public, but recently they have been placing more emphasis on programs to help and educate the community. BibloTech offers a variety of programs for children and adults such as computer classes,journalism seminars10. journalism seminar: 新聞研討會(huì)。, and countless others. A library is no longer simply a place to check out books.

Digital libraries are the future. In the next 100 or so years, books in print may be completely supplanted by their digital counterparts.11. supplant: 替代，取代；counterpart: 對(duì)手。While this can be much more convenient for libraries and library members, I am still going to be nostalgic12. nostalgic: 懷舊的，依戀往事的。for books in print. I will miss the texture of the pages and the smell of the paper,because those are things I grew to love about reading.

我的名字叫Betty，我生活在美國一個(gè)叫做希爾瓦(Sylva)的小鎮(zhèn)。我喜歡讀書（《哈利·波特》系列是我的最愛）、寫作和演奏樂器。 我是學(xué)校樂隊(duì)的成員，負(fù)責(zé)演奏木琴和鼓，偶爾還彈鍵盤鋼琴。我還熱愛科學(xué)，尤其喜歡學(xué)習(xí)生物學(xué)。我的博客地址是http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/2671967925。歡迎大家和我一起交流和學(xué)習(xí)。