Electronic library seminar

The future of the public library will look a lot like a computer Store: Rows of glossy touch screens; iPads mounted on a dark-colored bar inviting readers; and hundreds of other tablets stand ready for checkout to anyone with a borrowing card.

What makes the e-library of Cihan University special is that it might be the only bookless public library in the country, a distinction that has attracted many digital book lovers, researchers as well as students who want to learn about the idea and possibly take some books home.

In simple terms, this is the future and if anyone is going to be building new library facilities, this is what needs to be done. All-digital libraries have been on college campuses for years. But designing a public library and opening it for all book lovers is a far more ambitious target. It will be the first bookless public library system in the country serving not only the university students but the entire community.

The space is also more economical than traditional libraries despite the technology. Cihan library has collected more than 33,000-title digital collection through the open-source license agreement.