Bexar County BiblioTech

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

In September, 2014 Bexar County launched BiblioTech, the first entirely digital public library in the United States. Simply stated, BiblioTech is revolutionizing what it means to be a library. Bexar County, Texas spans 1,247 square miles with explosive population growth on the perimeter. As residents move farther from branch libraries, BiblioTech eliminates barriers to library access. Accredited by the Texas State Library, BiblioTech’s anchor facility is located in a disenfranchised sector of the County where residents have limited access to technology and economic buying power. BiblioTech’s mission is to “provide all Bexar County residents the opportunity to access technology and its applications for the purposes of enhancing education and literacy, promoting reading as recreation and equipping residents of our community with necessary tools to thrive as citizens of the 21st century.” Our cloud hosted digital collection allows patrons to access titles through circulated e-readers or their own devices from anywhere in the County. We offer audio books, magazines, databases, foreign language and software tutorials, movies, graphic novels and music. Technology includes e-readers for adults and children, computer stations, laptops and tablets. BiblioTech is fully scalable and translatable to a variety of applications across the County. With over 20,000 registered patrons to date, BiblioTech launched its first satellite operation in the Central Jury room of the County Courthouse. Future plans for BiblioTech include collocation in other public facilities; hospitals, transit centers, etc. Instead of the public going to the library, BiblioTech brings the library directly to the public. Bexar County has historically contributed $3.7 million annually to the San Antonio Public Library system. Start up for BiblioTech totaled $2.25 million. With annual operating costs of $1.2 million, BiblioTech presents a significantly more cost effective and efficient way to deliver library services to our residents.