Because of the shift in the distribution of financial resonsibility between the local authorities and the central government and because of the recession in the 1990s, the municipalities have cut their expenditure. Acquisitions of books and other material by scientific libraries have also decreased as basic funding for universities has been reduced. The life span of a book has shortened, the availability of old books has decreased, and books are still considered by some to be quite expensive. The range of titles available in bookshops has declined, even though the number of titles published has increased. Few authors if Finland can make a living solely on the income from their books.
Few entrepreneurs are willing to become booksellers because of the capital required.
As a result, the network of bookshops is declining at an alarming rate. Nevertheless, the future of the printed book in Finland seems bright. The numbers per capita of titles published, books sold and books borrowed from libraries are high in international comparison. The average level of education is rising, and studies show that this makes people more eager to buy and read books. The book trade must be prepared to meet the challenge by making use of the potential of the new technology.