College Libraries Without Books

Groo writes to tell us CBS News is reporting that books are a thing of the past at a University of Texas library this fall. The University will be converting the library to a 'social gathering place more akin to a coffeehouse.' This push is done in response to the increasing use of online research as a part of undergraduate studies. According to the article the missing books will be replaced by "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."

Comments

Digital age really begins

[Conspire]

All of mankinds knowlege in writing will slowly begin to dissapear. Books and print will someday be used as cheap fuel during a future worldwide economic depression. This will seem like a perfectly logical step as all knowledge will be databased and indexed across the internet.

Then, massive solar flares, or perhaps a meteorite, or maybe nuclear war, or even EMP from future unseen WMD, or ??? will wipe out human technology and we will be stuck without any record of past human knowlege. Or is this just a Hollywood scenario?

Re:bad move.

[dougllio]

Well, if they wait a year for Mack Brown to lose to Oklahoma again, they can fire him (finally) and use his salary to pay for the additional space to keep the books. I mean - what's more important to a school in Texas - a grande mocha frappaccino in a fully stocked library or a BCS title shot?