Is the time right for paperless libraries?
I began this essay by explaining that the idea of paper free communication is nothing new, and by positing paper as a symbolic link to the past which is often challenged by technology. I wish to end this essay by considering the cultural specifics that make the paperless library feasible today in contrast with the previous decade, and the attitudes which continue to hold it back.
Digital Natives
It is clear from such publications as Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott, that those concerned with the global information environment recognise a clear distinction between previous generations and those who grew up with technology and have now ‘come of age’; ‘they have a natural affinity for technology that seems uncanny’ (Tapscott, 2009, p.9). Verheul states that ‘increasingly researchers, and the general public, expect everything to be available on the web immediately’ (2010, p.74). It is clear that it is less the desirability and more the demand for the paperless library that is making it a reality, and this demand is placing increasing pressure on hybrid libraries.
Printing
Despite these demands for digital resources, even digital heavy hybrid libraries are plagued by something they cannot control: the desire for print copies. Sellen explains that after the invention of the World Wide Web, ‘paper consumption kept rising […] though they used digital means to find and retrieve information, they still preferred to print it out on paper when they wanted to read it’ (Sellen and Harper, 2002, p.8). In 2010, the director of the National Association of Paper Merchants, claimed that since 2000 ‘paper use […] across the UK has fallen by only 1% a year on average’, fuelled by a decrease in the cost of personal printing (cited in Hickman, 2010). It seems fit that while the library is pushing for a paperless service, the desire for print is ‘pushed down the line to the end consumer’ (cited in Hickman, 2010).
Conclusion: moving towards the Paperless Library
From the evidence presented in this essay, it is clear that a push towards paperless, digital libraries is in many respects highly desirable. While many hybrid libraries successfully combine the best of both print and electronic collections, these are proving to be increasingly stretching limited resources. I would argue that the best proposal for a time where many library institutions are struggling financially would be to allow for a large number of purely paperless libraries, supplemented and supported by preservation repositories such as the British Library and designated print libraries, constructed along the same systematic principles as the UKRR scheme. These print libraries would satisfy the needs of users who need access to print copies and ensure that no print information is lost, without placing financial strain on libraries that wish to focus on digital resources. This would alleviate pressure for a large number of libraries, free up space for user workstations to provide access, and free up funding for increased digital resources for remote access. It would then fall to the user to decide whether, despite the arguments, they would prefer to print the information before they read it.
