My first experience of a public library
Children Ten Years From Now
The present Reality
Public Libraries Ten Years From Now
The fast-paced advancement that technology is seeing today added to the problem of climate change we are facing right now may make books a scarce commodity. I can imagine rare and valuable books in good condition fetching their owners millions of dollars at Sotheby's.
Even tablets and phones which we now use for reading could find their place in these museums by then. We may be reading books from wearable stickers which could become our phone, music gadget, GPS, etc basically a single interface for all our needs.
My idea of Public Libraries in the age of technology - Ten Years From Now
Public libraries would have become a one stop shop for massages, personal grooming, a place for enjoying culinary delights and much more. While the connoisseur would have the chosen book read to him/her by AI (artificial Intelligence) nanny, he/she could enjoy any of the services his/her mind could conceive of while he/she is there. A fancy haircut, an excellent choice of wine or perhaps a head to toe massage could all be a part of the package.
There would be so many options to choose from. This dilettante of books could choose the kind of voice he/her would like have the book to be read in, while he/she reclines in a couch meant to relax and massage his/her body gently while the mind is at work.
Private rooms/spaces like the ones we currently have at clubs could be had for a price to make the reading experience a relaxing, healing and soothing experience.
If the aesthete does not want to have his/her book read by AI's synthetic voice, he/she could just have his/her own voice read it to him/her without having to physically do it. The mind would do the job for him or her at his pace and at his/her comfort level. (Remember Stephen Hawking's machine this would be even better though.)
The user could have virtual reality gadgets set up his/her room ambience for him/her. This could transport the user to the deserts of Arabia or the grasslands of Savanna or the Mediterranean seashores as he/she listens to their book.
The smells, the sounds, the music of the chosen ambiance could magically fill their private space and the user could be transported to that very place virtually as the book is being read.
Technology could help the user to relive the magic of the book by perhaps virtually transporting him/her into a 13th century monastery in France in nano seconds where the story is set.
The user could choose to become the protagonist and live the story out virtually in front of his/her eyes using virtual reality technology.
VR could bring all other characters to life for a extra small price which could be debited through the wearable sticker pasted on his/her body or the chip implanted in the body of the user.
The reading experience of the user could be heightened to the level of a drama/theater experience with various characters playing out the roles.
The user would have the luxury of choosing Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Tom Cruise or any of the thousands of Hollywood or local actors to suit their fancy at a price.
Reading a book would no more be the humble experience that we relate to today. It wouldn’t just be about our emotions and imagination; it would become a whole new sensual experience by itself. Well, I'd like to stop here and let your imagination run wild.
Public libraries could be adventure zones and Shakespearean theaters in another ten years if technology advances at the pace at which it is moving now. Who knows we could be doing all this on the Moon or maybe Mars if Elon Musk has his way!
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I'd love to hear from you.