Most experts expect the amount of information available on the Internet to continue to grow geometrically. As this happens, we will have a single distributed resource that contains enough information for all but a few research purposes. This allows students to spend more time focusing on the topic of interest and less time running about and copying information for later use. Scholars of all abilities and motivational levels can produce better work in the time available. From the minute a piece of printed material rolls of the press or copier, it starts to slowly decompose.
Newspapers are the first to crumble into dust while some books can last for centuries.
Once a piece of media is stored in digital format, however, it can last unchanged for an indefinite period of time. While the media that digital information is stored on may degrade like paper, the process of making a copy to fresh media does not result in any change or degradation to the information. Ideally, the entire contents of our libraries will some day be entirely digitized. That does not necessarily mean an end to printed materials, however, as fresh copies can be printed on demand. As students increase their use of the Internet for school work, students with access to the Internet at home and parents who can facilitate their work, will have a distinct advantage.