If this implies what I suspect it may...it gets me thinking about a further possibility! Since sound files for the most part start out in digital form...and image files (as well as possibly text files, such as books...!) can be converted to digital files by scanning... how long will it be before libraries are converted to institutions with huge multi-disc servers, and clients can access the contents either using monitors at the "library" or by downloading (onto a digital medium...possibly DVD-R...?) the desired item, in digital form, for later use. There would be a lot of monetary details to be worked out (or special short-lifespan media would have to be used...?)...but think of how much space would be saved, as well as an end to worrying about the lifespan of the artifacts themselves!
Will future libraries be measured in terabytes (or whatever follows those...?!)...