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In the last 100 years the Publishing industry has had no other choice but to sit back and endure the Library system. There was little they could do to stop it because once they sold a book it was beyond their control. They also soon realised that having to physically visit a Library repeatedly was a natural barrier to Library use that, combined with some other limitations, restricted Library reading to a bearable level for their commercial interests.
And that is not to deny the value of libraries in promoting reading and hence purchasing. But let's face it, if Library use had exploded to, say, 75% of the population at some time in the middle of last century ... could the Publishing industry have survived ?
What about the future ? No physical restrictions. No social stigma. What can be done to create a usage model where the business model does not collapse ?
What is a reader's motivation to buy as opposed to borrow ?
If everyone starts borrowing how can publishers and editors and writers make money ?
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