[micomicon]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

There are probably millions of out-of-copyright works that are only currently only available within libraries, and are unlikely to be digitised anytime soon. Without libraries these would be lost.

Agreed, it's not gonna happen overnight. But it will happen. BTW, digitized works have better prospects of longevity than those printed on fragile organic matter.

Where are the digital solutions giving blind readers access to huge amounts of material?

This is actually one of the advantages digital has over wood pulp.

How will the less tech savvy readers get hold of obscure books at reasonable prices without a library service?

Q: How did the illiterate get access to pbook libraries?
A: They learned to read.

I think there's a bigger leap to go from illiterate to literate than it is to go from "less tech savvy" to "able to use an elibrary".

What about the poor who can't afford to buy all the books they want to read?

Again, this is an area where ebooks have an advantage over pbooks. Digital copies are much cheaper to produce and distribute.

Who'll bother digitising local history archives that are of interest to a very small clientele?

Have you heard of the "long tail"? If the prospective audience of a library's collection is expanded to include "everyone", it has a much higher chance of finding an interested audience for its works.

reading for recreation can still be enhanced by the tactile and visual appeal of a beautifully produced book.

Please, do we really need to discuss this? I'm sure there were people who loved the tactile experience of clay tablets with cuneiform writing; the heft, the texture, the nice color. This does not mean they were a more effective vessel of knowledge. (That's what we're discussing here, right?)

Libraries are too precious to surrender willingly; and we should remember that Western civilisation only survives to the present day because of the heroic librarians of the past. They may yet be called upon again, we cannot afford to be without them.

One of the things that differentiates Western civilization is our willingness to let go of the past when a newer, better way of doing things comes along. Librarians are heroic, and I think they have a large role to play in the future. However, I do not think the day-to-day job is going to look much like it did in the past.

Is there something sacred about libraries? Yes! Imho, they are more sacred than cathedrals.

Public libraries, as we know them today, are not that old. As with all human institutions, the library has undergone a great deal of change throughout its history.

Are repositories of human knowledge sacred? Yes. Are huge buildings containing stacks upon stacks of information printed on wood pulp sacred? No.