The nation's first public library system without paper books was created Tuesday by Bexar County Commissioners Court, with a projected launch at the end of summer.

The BiblioTech project, starting with a South Side Internet café-style reading room, was disclosed last week and quickly garnered worldwide attention in news reports and library, publishing and technology journals.

A few academic libraries, including one at the University of Texas at San Antonio, have adopted bookless formats, and many public libraries offer e-books, but no entire system has been created or retrofitted with only e-books.

“We are trailblazing,” said County Judge Nelson Wolff, who proposed the concept citing a need for suburban library services. Proponents say the new system, costing $1.5 million to start, will enable users to access an initial 10,000 titles from anywhere. The prototype site at 3505 Pleasanton Road, a county satellite office serving the South Side, will have computers, take-home e-readers, study areas and meeting rooms.

In other business Tuesday:

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Commissioners Kevin Wolff and Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez, who were re-elected Nov. 6, took oaths of office to begin new four-year terms.

The court learned there are nearly 1,000 empty beds in the jail, despite an increase in arrests, and no inmates are being held in rented out-of-county spaces.

Commissioners proclaimed Jan. 25 to be Cowboy Breakfast Day, the annual event that feeds more than 30,000 people and signals the start of rodeo season.

The court authorized a $2 million contract with Joeris General Contractors for a Bexar County Courthouse restoration project.

Work will include removal of two non-historic additions to return the building to its 1926 appearance and make it eligible for consideration as a National Historic Landmark and possible grants.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

More Information



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