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Old 11-28-2007, 12:14 PM   #66
kovidgoyal
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But digital information makes the whole concept of the traditional library somewhat moot. After all the rationale behind the library is, I believe, to make a large number of books available to the general public, as the general public cannot easily obtain these books otherwise.

Now for out-of-copyright or open access works, libraries are useless. For in-copyright works, a digital library, because it would have infinite copies and be really easy to get books for free from (in an ideal world) would be anathema to publishers. They'd start charging libraries exorbitant prices.
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