InfoWorld: Un-public domain: March 28, 2003: By Ed Foster

Found this via the Shifted Librarian's site. Happy reading this April 1!

InfoWorld: Un-public domain: March 28, 2003: By Ed Foster: Security: "It was a very strange experience. I'll admit that it had been awhile since I'd visited my local library, so I was totally unprepared -- even after our recent discussion about books vs. software -- for how much it had changed.

The first change would have been hard to miss: I found the entryway to the stacks blocked by a turnstile. When I tried to push through it, an LED panel flashed "Insert Library Card" next to a small slot at the side. My tattered, old library card didn't look as if it would fit, and indeed, it was rejected when I tried to insert it. "Access to Reading Room Denied -- See New Accounts Desk," the LED flashed."