PDX Virtlib
This summer I created the Portland Virtual Technical Lending Library. I just call it the Virtlib or the Virtual Library.
http://virtlib.builtsoftware.com
Have you ever noticed how your local library doesn’t stock a great selection of technical books? They would if they could, but they can’t. It would just be too expensive. Technical books are a niche, and worse, they are a constantly changing niche. Libraries can’t get a good return on investment from a book like “Agile Web Development with Rails“. It’ll be useless in 3 or 4 years when the technology changes. A copy of “Jane Eyre” could still be providing constant value 20 years from now. And far more people will read Jane Eyre than will ever hear of Ruby. The mainstream rules.
Because of this geek-gap at the library, technical folks are forced to go off to the book store or places like Amazon or Alibris to get our books. And it ain’t cheap! Then, after we buy our book, we read it and set it aside. If it was good, we hang on to it for reference later. We end up with shelves full of books that other people could be using.
Why not let them?
That’s what the Virtual Library is all about: Sharing with your local tech community. And it’s pretty easy. You sign up for an account, and then start adding the books you want to share. You type in Title, Author, and ISBN and that’s about it. Then others can request your books. And you can request their books too! You decide along with the other person how you’re going to meet up to get the book. Local user group meetings are a great time for this, but you can meet when and wherever you’re both willing.
The Virtual Library is still in the early stages of development, and it is only available in the greater Portland Metro area, but if people find it useful I’ll be expanding it to other tech-minded areas. If you live somewhere outside of Portland and you’d like to have a Virtual Library, contact me.
If you’re in the Portland area and you’ve got any kind of technical books (not just programming… even medical, legal, musical, architectural, etc.) that you would like to share, go sign up for an account and add them in. You’ll be doing yourself and your local geek community a great favor.