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It seems to me that this whole issue of "future proofing" is a non-issue.
One doesn't need to own particular books to be assured of being able to read them in the future. Reading technologies will keep changing but good reads will always be in demand and as long as there is a demand, there will be means to satisfy it.
I think of my current smartphones and tablets as being like Bic disposable lighters; I will use them for a few years and then something cheaper and better will come along. I'm counting on it. That's the way it's always been in my lifetime and I trust it will continue.
I note that the UK and the US have recently embarked on long-term projects to make digital holdings more readily available in the future. I expect this trend to continue. Thus, there will be great shared storehouses of online material readily available to everyone on the planet. So we don't need to think in terms of hoarding our own little private libraries.
If you're a collector of classic works and somehow get a warm fuzzy feeling from "ownership" then that's fine, everyone needs a hobby. But for most people who are just looking for something good to read, according to my crystal ball, the future will provide lots of good stuff and I wouldn't worry about the exact form it takes.
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