The final touches were being made in Fallbrook on San Diego County's newest library, which is set to open this weekend.
Visitors will discover a spacious, art-filled facility almost twice the size of the old library.
Jose Aponte is the director of the county library system. He said shrinking budgets mean users will check out most books and materials themselves, with the aid of technology.
"We are one of the 25 busiest libraries in the United States," said Aponte. "We've augmented our service - the circulation of materials - 20 to 25 percent a year for the last five years."
Increasing demand and use will answer the question of whether libraries are still needed in the age of the Internet.
