New Library Technologies Dispense With Librarians

Faced with layoffs and budget cuts, or simply looking for ways to expand their reach, libraries around the country are replacing traditional, full-service institutions with devices and approaches that may be redefining what it means to have a library.

Some library directors worry that such machines are the first step toward a future in which the physical library -- along with its reference staffs and children's programs -- fades from existence. Robo-libraries are still a relatively rare sight. Public Information Kiosk, a company that sells kiosks and vending machines to libraries, has had 25 orders for a book-and-DVD-dispensing machine that the company introduced last year. Fred Goodman, the company's chief executive, estimated that, overall, there are no more than a few dozen vending machines now in operation. Still, he expects to sell at least twice as many units in 2011.