Chicago Public Library now has a collection of 500 robots for residents to check out.

The gadgets were donated by Google Chicago. The idea is to give residents of all ages a chance to experiment with the basics of computer coding.

With a growing interest in providing those basic skills in schools, perhaps this initiative will open up a new role for UK libraries too, though one can't help conjuring up the vision of robots checking themselves out and finding their own way back to the shelf as a natural development of automation in libraries. 

They can be coded to move, make noises, light up and even draw, says NBC, who broke the story. The robots were invented by a lab at Carnegie Mellon University. They are set up for use with more than a dozen of the most commonly used computer languages. Users connect the robots to their home computer and download instructional tutorials.

The gadgets were donated by Google Chicago. The idea is to give residents of all ages a chance to experiment with the basics of computer coding.
with a growing interest in providing those basic skills in schools, perhaps this initiative will open up a new role for UK libraries too, though one can't help conjuring up the vision of robots checking themselves out and finding their own way back to the shelf as a natural development of automation in libraries. 
They can be coded to move, make noises, light up and even draw, says NBC, who broke the story. The robots were invented by a lab at Carnegie Mellon University. They are set up for use with more than a dozen of the most commonly used computer languages. Users connect the robots to their home computer and download instructional tutorials.