Libraries, the place that many thought would be outmoded with the internet are still trying to hang on. To do so they are looking to lend books electronically. But even this is causing some interesting problems.
Publishers don't like electronic libraries: The reason is simple; it cuts into printed book sales. Publishers still like printing books in paper back and hard cover, but libraries cut into those sales. They do so by offering cheap and often time’s free access to the books once published via the internet. While yes, some publishers charge libraries to use and lend there books, there is still a sense of "cannibalism" within the realm of publishing.
Issues with electronic lending: Generally libraries guard the data of there borrowers end their reading habits, but with electronic lending digital traces are left which publishers will attempt to exploit. Thus, privacy is an issue. Libraries themselves could even exploit the data by selling it to make more cash. Only one advantage can be drawn that I can see, and that is a book version of "Pandora" that puts up similar music to what you normally listen to. In the case of books it will use genre and authors to help make useful suggestions for avid readers. But there is also an issue of the providers and their servers. Libraries don't use there own servers to lend books as they use an outside vender. If they try to switch, they may loose all those book titles that they can lend and may have to go through legal hassles to aid the new service to lend out the same books. It comes down to licensing law.
Overall advantage: Electronic lending does have its perks. It allows people to borrow books even after the library itself is closed. This means no more waiting in line for a book let alone for someone to return the book. Also, this allows for people access to information that would otherwise be hard to obtain as not all books are available on the internet itself save through an electronic lending system. In addition, while many may see this as a negative, hackers may break into the digital parts of the library and pirate all of the data. The hackers of course will win in the long run as libraries and publishers both will be forced to adapt to the new realities or literally die trying. Of course most libraries offer books free of charge so that issue will be minimized.
Conclusion: Libraries are here to stay. Some may not even be buildings, but rather online sights that lend out books and may even give a chance for people to buy the book itself (the electronic version). It opens up the market so that armature authors may publish a book through a library which may even turn into there big break. Advertisements are inevitable as some form of revenue will be required if the author is self publishing, as far be it for me to deny them the right to profit from their work. Even Amazon is getting into the act of lending out books along with movies and other media through their Amazon Prime service. Publishers have naturally pushed back by refusing to sell certain books to libraries, but that just means more room for the unlicensed and armatures to have greater exposure rather than be brushed aside for the more popular titles. How the library evolves is something we all cannot predict, but for me, I kind of hope that all the libraries in the world form a kind of network to provide titles from all over the world to the masses. An international library seems like a nice idea from my stand point.
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