The San Antonio Public Library Begins Using Digital Wallpaper For eBook Lending and Promotion

This is super cool! It’s useful, practical, easy enough for grandma, and a great way to publicize the availability of library ebooks at the same time. Kudos SAPL!
From the SAPL Web Site:

The San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) is now making access to the library’s digital resources even easier! Beginning Thursday, July 24, a number of Digital Libraries will be available at community places for library card holders to download and access millions of eBooks, eAudiobooks, movies and music titles using a QR code reader (free to download at iTunes Store and Android Market).
The Digital Library “wallpaper” will be affixed to surfaces inside senior centers, the YMCA, Haven for Hope and other locations, for cardholders to easily access SAPL’s entire digital collection.
SAPL is partnering with the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library, YMCA, Haven for Hope, Department of Human Services and Convention and Sports Facilities Department to place the libraries.
This initial launch of digital libraries installations includes placement at D.R. Semmes YMCA, Bob Ross Senior Center, Alicia Treviño Lopez Senior Center, Haven for Hope and Connect at Central (Library). Multiple additional locations throughout the Library’s service area will be announced in the coming months as additional partner ships and locations are finalized.

Btw, the “virtual” browsing using digital wallpaper + smartphone/code is one we’ve mentioned in the past.

Two Examples

Last November, we mentioned a project from Vodafone Romania (we’ve also embedded a video at the bottom of this post) that utilizes digital wallpaper for ebook borrowing.
Three years ago Technology Review wrote about how commuters in South Korea could virtually shop for groceries using digital wallpaper and a smartphone as they stood on a subway platform waiting for the next train to arrive.
Here’s what a piece of San Antonio Public Library digital library “wallpaper” looks like. Note the QR code on the spine or cover of the books.

Filed under: Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, News, Public Libraries