Wikipedia har et utraditionelt vinklet opslag, Decline of Library Usage. Relativt interessant læsning, selvom det ikke er mit indtryk, at tendensen kan overføres ukritisk til danske forhold. Eksempelvis har Statsbibliotekets udlån af fysiske materialer været stigende i de tal jeg har fra 2008 til nu.
John Law fra ProQuest citeres for noget, som jeg synes (stadig) gælder for biblioteker på nettet:
However, the complexity of the search methods provided by libraries alienates many potential users. While most academic researchers and students acknowledge that libraries contain much more relevant and high quality materials, the confusing search process makes it difficult to find these resources. With the current premium placed on time, students are not willing to sift through the clutter to find the sources, rather turning to Google because of the accessibility of the content, not its quality. So despite the efforts to digitize, libraries are still losing potential patrons to less complicated mediums.
