HISTORY
Brainchild Judge Nelson Wolff
o Designed for – not adapted to
the digital age
3 Foundational Pillars
o Access
o Resources
o Education
$2.2 Million Start Up
o Savings from other capital
projects
o Private donations
11 Months Concept to Launch
o Doors opened September 14,
2013
MISSION
Provide all Bexar County residents
technology access to enhance literacy,
promote reading as recreation and
equip residents of our community with necessary
tools to thrive as citizens of the 21st century.
WHY IT MATTERS
True literacy - Extends beyond the ability to read
o Skills to gain meaning
o Effectively communicate
Digital literacy - More than knowing technology
o
o
o
o
o
Locate
Organize
Understand
Evaluate
Analyze
Lack of these skills = functional illiteracy
ACCESS
BiblioTech offers a digital
alternative to traditional public
libraries
Instead of public going to the
library,
BiblioTech brings the library
directly to the public
No physical barrier to access
No financial barrier to access
ACCESS
Configuration:
o Digital reading room
o 2 group study rooms
o Children’s area
o Lounge
o Café
Equipment includes:
o 48 desktops
o 200 children’s readers
o 600 e-Ink readers
(external use)
o 45 iPads (internal use)
o 10 laptops (internal use)
County-Owned facility located 3505 Pleasanton Rd. o 4 surface tables
o Opened to the public September 14, 2013
o Adaptive technology
o Approximately 4,800 sq. ft.
77,000 Patrons
DIGITAL VS. PHYSICAL
Digital libraries are uniquely positioned
to serve disadvantaged users
o Patrons with Disabilities
o Patrons in Rural Areas
o Senior Citizens
o Low-Income Communities
o Incarcerated
Bricks and mortar libraries more
than book repositories
o “Third Place”
o Learning Hubs
o Community Gathering Space
o Distribution Site
RESOURCES
Website Visits
739,028
eBooks Borrowed
220,131
eReaders Borrowed
11,538
Registered Patrons
81,668
PHYSICAL LIBRARY
BiblioTech Culture
o “Learning Noise”
o Patrons raise hands for help
o Focus on customer service
o Tech savvy front staff, uniforms
o One-on-One assistance
o “Patron’s Pick” tech classes
Desktop Usage
34,296
Foot Traffic
220,672
E-Readers Borrowed
9,967
IMPACT
UTSA Partnership
5 Focus Groups
Middle and High School Students
① BiblioTech as “safe” space
② Increased attention to academics
③ Staff relationships
④ “Home-away-from-home”
⑤ Social opportunities
⑥ “Freedoms” and “Responsibilities”
⑦ Digital world access
EDUCATION
Branches, Partnerships,
and Outreach
1604
1604
Map Key
22
49
35
410
25
2
21
281
281
18
19
20
1
55 56
10
10
Branches
47
51
Partnerships
48
35
Military Base
Partnership
9
10
8
10
410
90
90
37
37
35
35
35
• Fort Sam Houston
• Lackland Air Force Base
• Brooks City-Base
• Brooks Army Medical Center
• Army Residence Community
(Retirement)
30
16
281
17
36
410
410
1604
1604
37
37
1604
Map of Bexar County
Future
Branch
(Wheatley Courts 2015)
IMPACT
• Paradigm Shift in Metrics
• Framing of Accountability
• Outputs vs. Outcomes
• Numbers vs. Narratives
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
• Embrace our
idiosyncrasies
The patron is ready and willing - not always able
We can spread wide, but not thin
One size does NOT fit all
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
• Wheatley Courts
– ConnectHOME
• Tri-Centennnial Celebration
– 27 Suburban Cities
– Histories and Archives
• National Digital Library Coalition
– Technology Development Partner
– Best Practices