A common refrain from those commenting on the current pandemic pestilence is that society will never really return to “normal.” For example, cautious and prudent citizens will be slow to resume their former patterns of restaurant patronage, if ever. Theaters, concerts, indeed ANY public gatherings will be shunned by many for a long time to come, and the change in the behavior of citizens will be noted and lamented.
However, Information Scientists can rejoice! Following up on their two-decade anti-book marketing strategy, libraries will finally be able to dump the final books from their physical collections because no one will be watching! "We deliver our content digitally," say the proud biblioposers, and the boast is true. To interact with a library is no longer a matter of visiting the place, and likely the vast majority of former patrons will avail themselves of socially-distant visitation via the internet. Meanwhile the codex massacre can quietly continue within the abandoned buildings. As they say, "While the cat's away..."
Should you venture out from your quarantine isolation you might wish to drive by the rubbish dumpster behind your local academic library and take a last look at what used to be their collection.
