Will Public Libraries Become the Next Dinosaur?

The book publishing industry is changing rapidly, and Amazon's Kindle has become a real game changer. As I read articles by industry experts I notice that one word seems to keep popping up over and over again, and that word is dinosaur.

Dinosaur is what is being used to describe traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores, and the old business model of buying books, which is, going into said bookstore.  There are many reasons why it's becoming a dinosaur.  Shelf space is limited, thus limiting the selection of titles for customers to choose from.  Many traditional bookstores, particularly the major chains, like Barnes & Noble, will not allow self-published, indie published, print-on-demand books in their stores, never mind the fact that these self-published and indie authors are taking over a bigger and bigger share of the market.  (And we all know how well this stance played out for Border's Books.)  Then there's the Amazon Kindle, which allows readers to download books in seconds and for a fraction of the cost of hard cover or paperback books.  That, my friends, is the game changer. 

Public libraries seem to have the same limitations as traditional bookstores--limited shelf space, a bias against indie authors, and you have to return the book within two weeks or pay a fine. Guess that's why I was never big on borrowing books from the library.  Sometimes life happens, and I don't always have the time to finish the book within two weeks, so I'd get stressed out. 

That said, I can't help but wonder if public libraries, like brick-and-mortar bookstores, are also about to become dinosaurs.  Why hassle with the limited selection and potential fines with a public library when you can go to a website like Smashwords, and, for as little as a dollar, (and sometimes even free), you can download a book into your ebook reader.  And you don't even have to worry about returning it.

It will be interesting to see if my prediction comes true.  Time will tell.

GM