Since the beginning of November, the New York Public Library system has been "laying claim to a massive online public as [its] newest service audience... It is breaking free from the limitations of physical location by making many kinds of materials and services available at all times to patrons who are both cardholders and Web surfers, whether they are homebound in the neighborhood or halfway around the world."

For library card holders, that means the opportunity to check out e-books (more than 3,000 titles available), browse an online card catalog from home, and even watch movie trailers. Libraries, quite simply, are reclaiming their rightful role as a vital community resource after years of losing ground to information know-it-alls like Google.