San Diego ( CNN ) -- If you want to save souls , first you need to put folks in the pews . It works the same way with libraries , which -- without patrons -- are just large and imposing buildings full of dust and unread books , begging to be shut down by local officials the next time budgets are awash in red ink . Still , even for those who would like to see libraries kept open , it 's worth asking : `` At what cost ? `` Â Traditionalists are sure to be horrified at the news that , in a trend that seems to be growing in popularity , more and more public libraries in the United States are supplementing their supply of books on science , history and literature with video games and big-screen televisions . What 's wrong with this picture ? Those are the types of electronic gadgets that , we have long been told , distract people and prevent them from reading -- especially teenagers with short attention spans . So what are they doing inside an increasing number of public libraries in the United States ? It would seem that this is the last place they ought to be . The worldwide video game industry is projected to gobble up more than $ 70 billion by 2015 . Ca n't there be one refuge from this tidal wave , and should n't it be a library ? Maybe not . I admit that , when I first heard this story , my initial reaction was a wince . Call me old-fashioned . When I was a teenager , I liked spending time in arcades and in libraries , and yet I never confused the two venues . But the more I heard , the more supportive I became of libraries that go down this road . And I realized that this is just the normal evolution of the worlds of learning and entertainment . School for autistic adult teaches video game building . Video games are part of an elaborate attempt to lure teenagers into a library , in the hopes that , before they leave , they might actually crack open a book -- or even , dare to dream , check one out . The games have to be age-appropriate , and some are even educational in nature . According to a study published last year in Library Journal , about 15 % of libraries in the United States now check out video games to anyone with a library card . And actual gaming within libraries themselves is believed to be far more common . Judging from some librarians who could n't be happier with the results , the strategy is working . Teenagers -- boys in particular -- are coming to the library . And , in those libraries that have video games , books are being checked out at a rate that exceeds what it was before the gamers arrived . It sounds counterintuitive , but what if it turns out that the best way to get teenagers to even step foot into a library is to sweeten the environment with a few digital gadgets . What 's the harm ? Testing touchscreen tables in classrooms . Some might be uneasy with the concept , but what is new and different is n't necessarily wrong . Those who work in libraries can provide some context . They point out that , 20 years ago , the debate was over having CDs and VHS cassettes available for checkout . Ten years ago , it was over whether libraries should carry DVDs and install personal computers and provide patrons with access to the Internet . And now it 's about video games . Besides , it 's easy to criticize . But when was the last time any of these traditionalists even stepped foot in a library ? Â When I was growing up in the 1970s , libraries were where you went to read books and research papers . They were a portal to new and exciting worlds , a pathway to adventure . Today , we do all that through electronic devices we can hold in the palm of our hand . Public libraries could soon become just another relic of the past , like the full-service gas station , the five-and-dime and the soda fountain in the corner drugstore . For those who love books and value learning , that 's a depressing scenario worth fighting with every available weapon , and every conceivable strategy . Game on ! The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette .
Ruben Navarrette : Libraries are offering video games to lure younger crowd . He says teens may see the move as libraries selling their books . With all the challenges libraries face , the games make sense , he says . Navarrette : If games can prompt teens to read , that 's a key for survival of libraries .