The palm computer that can inexpensively download a book that is convenient to read is years away. And books are just one component of an authentic library. It's a cultural seat of a city. You don't have to go to Paris or London. Just go to Disneyland.
Libraries also are great equalizers in a democracy.
Rich and poor, adults and children, all can learn the same things, enjoy the same books. The greatest entrepreneurs of our century have in common that their dreams began in public libraries. One day, sadly, libraries as we know them probably will no longer be needed. But that day is not here. For now, a public library is a civic necessity for any city that cares about preparing members of this generation and the next to live in a smart world where knowledge takes precedence over emotion.