Briefly You’re looking into Florida Polytechnic University’s new library. Light, bright, beautiful curves and… there’s not a single book on its shelves?
Nope, you read that right. The 11,000 square-foot, $US60 million, Santiago Calatrava-designed building doesn’t have a single paper book anywhere within it. Sure, it’s a beautiful space for working and reading — it’s just that everything is digital.
In fact, the library has a deal with with publishers that allows students to access titles once for free. If a second student chooses to read the book, the library automatically purchases the electronic book for its collection.
The reason it works so well for Florida Polytechnic University is that it’s a school focussed on science, technology, engineering, and maths degrees — and there’s a proliferation and acceptance of digital volumes in those fields. It’s harder to persruade harcore literary academics that it’s the right direction to move in. But from here, it certainly looks like the future. [Library Journal, Guardian via Verge]