It is difficult for most of us to remember what it was like to file catalog cards or write check out slips. As a library administrator, I am often asked by those who have embraced technology how soon everything, e.g., all of the books in the Library of Congress, will be readily available in electronic format. While I am always hesitant to say that something will never happen, I can say with complete confidence this will never happen in my lifetime. And I am planning to live for a long, long time. While I do believe that most new publications will be made available in electronic format, it will not be economically feasible to transform everything that has ever been published into computer accessible format.
Publishing is, after all, a business.
Whether or not a specific publication will be available in print or some alternative format will be decided from an economic perspective. Similarly, libraries will not be able to afford to convert much of the significant but rarely used published material currently stored on their shelves into electronic format. Nor can they afford to continue to convert this same material to newer electronic formats as technology continues to change. So, for those of you who have always loved to browse in the traditional library, do not fear. It will be with us for a long, long time.