Also, e-book formats have not settled yet, and one won't work on another. Digitizing books is a solution for availability, but the cost is higher than you would think. And even if a book is digitized, there are maintenance costs just like with paper books. If the software and machine to house the book isn't maintained and operating, the book is gone. The Internet has no depth.
Most material is less than fifteen years old.
Human nature may be the biggest stumbling block to the Internet. Surveys have shown that over eighty percent of e-book users would prefer to buy books over the Internet. E-book readers confess that 30 minutes is the maximum time they can read from a computer screen before eyestrain and headaches occur. The next twenty years will bring beneficial changes in the delivery of electronic materials. The Internet is a marvelous tool, but to claim that libraries will become obsolete is like saying that shoes have made feet unnecessary.