The Future of Paper Books

I recently added myself to a library waiting list to download the latest Jonathan Franzen novel Freedom. It's checked out everywhere so I figured I would try to get it anyway possible. Upon doing this, I instantly wondered:

1. Why do I have to be on a waiting list to download a file?
2. With the popularity of eReaders, when will the demand for eBooks outweigh the demand for bound books?

I, along with a fair amount of readers, love the physical book. I love the weight, the feel and the space it takes up in my bag. I relish in escaping into something that is as only as overwhelming as the reading level not the spiderweb of information vying for consumption all at once (the Internet). I don't have a eReader, and some people are surprised. How long will being an "old school" reader last? I don't want to make the switch.

Gary Shteyngart's latest novel Super Sad True Love Story touches on this topic. A dystopian satire set in a relatively near future, books are seen as disgusting old things that reek. The global economy has gone down the toilet and everyone is federally mandated to use omniscient communication devices (think Facebook on politically-induced mega-steroids). There's more plus a love story, but you get the gist.

Consumer-focused books and magazines have been moving their way toward digital since the 1990s. In conjunction, I'm nervously intrigued to see how libraries evolve. Many already have digital collections and moving to accomodate even more. I would hate to see libraries dissolved to an "app" when I'm 80, though.

But what will be the final reason for the end of the printed media? Convenience? A light-weight, portable lifestyle? Carbon footprint? A continuing whirlwind of digital proliferation? Probably a combination of it all.

Frankly, I'm waiting until my Twilight Zone-esque dreams come true. I want a microchip in my brain so I can download and absorb books, languages, scientific methods and more instead of today's fancy schmancy eReader.