A Florida ‘library without books’ looks to expand one county’s tech workforce

A new library is coming to Osceola County in central Florida. But instead of novels tucked away in shelves, the facility will be adorned with innovative technologies and digital services to help train and prepare visitors for a tech-ready future.

The Osceola Tech Library “is a library without books,” said Viviana Janer, county commissioner for Osceola County, Florida. “It’s all digital [and] it’s all about technology.”

Visitors will have access to resources like coding, virtual reality and artificial intelligence learning labs, where they can learn about and practice using innovative technologies, Janer said. County officials hope the library will help develop people’s digital literacy and skills in an equitable and accessible way, ultimately allowing more individuals to pursue a tech career in the community.

By Kaitlyn Levinson