Texas library has everything but books

You may have noticed an interesting trend if you shop many garage sales or listen to the local call-in radio show.

The supply of certain items, it seems, is outstripping the demand, and you can thank technology for the change.

Entertainment centers, computer desks and even book cases seem to be in abundance.

Beautiful solid-wood entertainment centers that cost hundreds of dollars only a few years ago go begging, thanks to the advent of flat-screen, high definition televisions that hang on the wall instead of nestling in finely-crafted wood furniture.

Computer desks that once occupied prominent places in our homes are no longer needed because of the laptops or tablets that replaced them. Wireless printers can hide in a cupboard or closet, unshackled from the electronic device that feeds them.

Schools and other institutions are affected by the changes, of course. Many computer labs were built in recent years, but the space they occupy will find other uses as students and teachers migrate to tablets or laptops -- a process already achieved in some area schools and likely to occur in McCook in the next couple of years.

San Antonio is home to the Bexar County Biblio Tech, which has taken the concept to the next level.

It's a new, $2.3 million library where librarians wear matching shirts and hoodies, walking among rows of shiny iMacs and iPads, ready to check out anyone with a lending card.

The only thing it doesn't have is books.

All-digital libraries are nothing new on college campuses, but the concept has had trouble getting off the ground in other communities. Newport Beach, California, tried it in 2011, but physical books were restored following a public uproar. Tucson-Pima opened an all-digital branch after the turn of the century, but books were restored by demand.

The Texas library seems to be a success. Ebooks aren't free -- Biblio Tech bought its 10,000-title digital collection for the same price as physical copies, but the county saved millions in bricks-and-mortar because it didn't have to stack the physical books.

And, so far, none of the high-priced tablet computers has been lost to an irresponsible or dishonest borrower.

No, there's nothing like the smell of a library or the feel of a physical book. And, there will always be a demand for a quiet place to study or read for enjoyment away from home.

But public and private buildings will inevitably have to reflect the realities of the electronic world.