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Old 01-19-2010, 10:16 PM   #29
unicorn23
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unicorn23 began at the beginning.
 
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Join Date: Feb 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markbot View Post
The great thing is that most physical libraries will soon become obsolete as information moves to the net! The majority of the over 100,000 libraries, most subsidized with taxes, can be downsized. Over 3 million square feet of library space is built each year...which can be reduced.
Yep, as a librarian, I can tell you that this day is going to be a very long time coming. The idea that "everything" is going to be electronic anytime soon is so not going to happen. Even the Library of Congress (with the biggest library budget in the world) has some miniscule percentage of their collection that's digital, and it's not changing very fast (digitisation requires budgets - big budgets).

Don't get me wrong, we love digital, but saying libraries won't need physical space in the next few years is a total fallacy - it's not called the long tail for nothing : )
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