A Dream of the Future - Smart Mini Libraries Around the World
On a chilly spring day in September, 2037, a friend and I were walking around the quieter and lesser-known streets of Mar del Plata, far from the ocean breeze and the waves of tourists. The streets were dotted with trees and parked cars. We didn’t really know where we wanted to go. For once I was embracing the spontaneous ways of tourists who simply wander and get lost in unfamiliar places, when my friend spotted something in the distance. Of course, in my blind glory, I had no idea what she was looking at, but as we walked in that direction, I gradually noticed a bright green shape on the side of the street. Curiosity made us walk closer.
When we were almost in front of it, I noticed the decorative fútbol arch framing the bright green structure. That’s when the symbolism clicked for me.
“El Dibu! It’s a little tribute to the famous goalie!” I said, sounding like a young person again.
“It’s a mini library,” my friend said, taking a better look at the books inside the little kiosk.
“Hola, bienvenidos. Olá, bem-vindos. Hello, welcome,” said a voice coming from a projected screen to the side of the kiosk, “if you’d like assistance to select an e-book or audiobook, say e-book, or say audiobook to continue,” the voice said in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
“This thing knows I’m blind?”
“I have detected that you have a cane. If you’d like to find a new book, say e-book or say audiobook to continue,” it said in English, since it detected that’s the language I was using.
“Audiobook, please.” Tears blurred my crappy eyesight even more. I cry easily, and a smart mini library was something I had dreamed of so many years ago, only to let go of the thought, like I do with most of my dreams.
A new projected screen appeared, its background decorated with light blues and whites simulating a sky with clouds. “I currently have audiobooks in the following categories: general fiction, mystery and thriller, fantasy, romantic novels, history of Argentina, general history, science and technology, sports, science fiction, and travel books. Please select a category.”
“Do you… do you have Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges?”
The voice stayed silent for a couple of seconds.
“It’s searching for it,” my friend said.
“It’s my favorite book. This is beyond amazing, even if it doesn’t have it right now,” I said.
The projected screen switched and a video started: “Hello, campeón, campeona, my name is Emi Martinez. Thank you for visiting this beautiful library that my home city of Mar del Plata built. I want you to know that you’re already a star. Keep reading and keep dreaming.” It was an older Dibu, sitting on his armchair and holding a book while the video message was recorded.
The video dissolved, and a square picture appeared on screen, with a stadium cheer ringing in the background. I recognized the chant. The square picture was the audiobook I wanted. My knees trembled.
“If this is your first visit, you can activate your personal device’s connection to download the audiobook,” the voice said.
I lifted my wrist watch, since that was where I stored music and audiobooks for my usual walks when I wasn’t traveling to new places. The voice on my watch read the text of a pop up screen: “Mar del Plata’s Smart Mini Library Hub wants to send you a file. Accept. Decline.” I clicked accept, and a couple of seconds later, the Ficciones audiobook was on my wrist watch.
“Thank you, whoever made this, thank you so much. I don’t know how to give an audiobook in return.” My old knees were losing strength. I had to kneel for a moment. It wasn’t a religious gesture, it was a need to ground myself, to process that it wasn’t a mirage or a dream. As I took that pause, closer to the ground, I noticed that the little kiosk had two legs instead of one, and on its left “leg,” there was a small golden ball attached.
“Look at this,” I said to my friend, “they added this detail to honor that moment when Dibu made the epic save at the last minutes of the final match in 2022, which made it go to penalties.”
“That’s beyond amazing, they really thought of everything,” my friend said.
I stood up with some difficulty, supporting myself with the cane. My legs were definitely not young anymore. “I’d like to give an audiobook,” I said, hoping that the smart library was still listening.
“Thank you for giving back. To share an audiobook with our Smart Library Hub, you can select the file from your preferred device, click on the Share option, and search for Mar del Plata Smart Library Hub in the options. Alternatively, if you’d like to recommend an audiobook that you don’t currently have, you can upload the book cover image to our directory here.” A screen appeared showing a blank space to tap and upload. “Our connection is now on. Whenever you’re ready.”
I searched in my current collection and found a lovely audiobook that I enjoyed, but I felt it would be great if it found other readers besides me. О ratitude rushed through my entire body, up and down like an energy scanning every atom of my being. I had to give more, and I searched for my own e-books. I donated copies of some of my works, and as the files uploaded, another Futbol chant rang in the background, cheering me on.
“I think I have a paperback,” my friend said. I could hear the sound of things being moved around in her backpack. “This one’s by an Aussie author. It’s a good horror story. I hope someone likes it.” She opened the little glass door and put the book next to other titles. I had no idea what titles the paperbacks held.
Another cheer played in the background. “Your contributions keep the spirit of the Smart Mini Library Hub alive. You have donated five books today. Since Ficciones is a public domain title, you can also request other titles, or take starter credits for your next library visit. Alternatively, you can give credits to a community pool,” the voice said.
I took one credit, my friend took another, and the rest we left them for someone else.
As we walked away from this amazing community gift, I remembered something. “The way you spotted it before I did reminded me of that video you made of my debut novel in the wild. That video made my day, and this green library did that as well.”
My mind was racing. How many Smart Mini Libraries were out there? Did they build them with local themes in mind? Was there a Messi-inspired kiosk somewhere in Santa Fé? Were those shiny things on the kiosk’s roof solar panels? Did I imagine that?
Today is Friday, the 17th of January, 2025. This entire concept of the smart mini libraries was inspired by a picture that my friend a fellow author A. Zaykova took of a current mini library. I love the concept, but I’ve never seen any mini libraries in person, much less a mini library with accessibility features. I hope that this blog series inspires readers and librarians out there someday.
And thank you for this lovely picture.
