Library

I have already discussed my love of reading and my goal of building a library sometime in the future.
I have also recently communicated my joy at discovering that Book Depository will ship free worldwide and my utter dissappointment (and slight rage) at discovering that most of Africa isn't part of the world (according to them).
So I have been thinking, if I want to increase access to literature (especially local and regional literature) to young people in Zambia, and it is expensive and difficult to purchase or print and publish books what is the best way.
Simultenously I recently bought a smart phone associated with Google and google has access to public domain texts for free. So I started downloading books and reading and before i knew it I was developing a collection (rather cheaply) and with no shipping and storage costs.
So with these two things happening I began thinking about a digital library. Increasing digital access to books.
I thought about Ebook readers, started thinking that I would need the creation of an entirely different system.
First of all I have two visions of how this is manifested.
Keeping in mind that when I say 'device' I am picturing an ereader like device but with different capabilities.

1. Library
I imagine walking in a library and having physical books on the shelves. Walking through the aisles, browsing and noticing different book sizes and covers and pictures on the covers, with different colors and reading the back (because I feel this is a really important part of the reading experience). BUT when you find a book you like, scanning the book or barcode in someway onto your device, and therefore being given free access to that digital copy for a certain amount of time (this is not internet dependent, kind of bluetooth like). So that you still have free (but limited) access to books that are purchased by your local library but it's weight less and digital and obviously it means a local library can have 10 digital copies of a particular text for example. Additionally, book stores can function in a similar way but you pay to permanantly own a copy of that text, which you can share, again in a Bluetooth-like manner.
You can still search online and get copies that way, but the library I believe has other functions as well. I believe it can function as a community centrepoint and place to share other ideas, places for conversations with writers, reading groups, discussion groups, etc, and therefore should not be entirely digital. Additionally, I like browsing and I think colors and shapes can't catch your eye as well online.
And often the library is a quite, comfortable place for those whose homes are not so for study. 

2. School
In visualising how this 'device' is integrated into school systems. I imagined the teacher has a smart board, and the students each have this device. The teacher is standing up front pointing to a map on the smart board and all the students have that map on their device but are also able to take additional notes. So in this context it's probabaly more like a laptop BUT without internet capabilities and with very controlled functionings, that is closely linked to the teacher's smartboard.
Is it possible that once a student walks into a classroom certain capabilities are instantly switched off and all the devices are synced to what the teacher is pointing out. That tests can be instantly graded (not all tests can be multiple choice, I know), but also classroom surveys to ask for example if everyone understands the concept.
I imagine the teacher being able to look at graphs and tables to talk to a student about their strengths and weakness and possibly to allow a teacher to cater to particular students strengths and weakness. Imagine if tests could be written differently for different students, to challenge some so they don't get bored, and to help others so they can reach their potential. And then in this way possibly being able to have better statistics about how a teacher, a school and a region is doing in numeracy and literacy goals.
And then with each progression in grades limitations are lifted as students are taught to navigate the internet and sift through the information to determine reliability and validity. And upon graduation all limitations are removed. As a way to also incorporate training children for the digital world in which they will have to navigate.

Additionally, I can see myself starting a project to digitize African literature. For example in googling "ereaders in schools" I found a European charity that's handing them out in Kenya, South Africa, other specific counties and they are loading them with particular texts, but that's the equivalent of walking through Africa and handing out books from your country. There is an incredible value in reading literature that is relevant to your life experience.
Additionally their program is a charity and is therefore a nonviable business model. I imagine finding a company in Africa to engineer these 'devices' and having a business relationship that benefits both schools and manufacturers. Additionally the purpose of purchasing and borrowing digital copies will potentially be profitable to writers as well. And the same way that digital music allows money to go straight to the artist with fewer middle guys. Additionally it will encourage smaller publishing projects, since one doens't have to consider the printing and distribution costs.


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UPDATE
I don't know  if I mentioned something about a desire to create an internet connection in the middle of no where independent of satellite dishes and phone companies.
That I wanted to know if money were no object and I was in the middle of a jungle how I could connect to the internet. I may have mentioned it but it may also just have been to myself (it's a fine line between inspired and insane)
But never the less, recently Google has launched their 'loon project'
And it's their degree of lateral thinking that makes me a huge fan of google.