Icebergs...
I was interested to read about the 'just in case' collection. I must admit I was slightly horrified when I first began working at the library at how regularly books are deleted. What? No! You can't get that book anymore! It's an unusual topic!
Of course, I have now seen that it is necessary and right to cull the collection for various reasons. Yet some emotional part of me hates to see the old books go. You would see this in evidence at my house, where the bookshelves are overflowing. I use the library (duh) but I can't seem to stop buying books, either.
Yes, the internet means that anyone can access just about any information, but not everything. Sometimes it's just the inspiration to hit the library. For example, some time ago, while researching British folklore on the internet, I found a reference to an essay on the very topic I was researching. Was the essay online? No! It was in an English journal from the 1960's. So when I finally got to the UK, I went straight to the library and copied the article.
The other thing about the internet is that a lot of sites don't quote their sources - again, frustrating when researching history. You can't beat the old books for that. There has to be a middle ground between print and technology, IMHO.
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