At my major Midwest library, the death rattle of VHS echoes hauntingly. Oh sure, we still own a handful, but we yanked the format's feeding tube (i.e. funding) and signed its Do Not Resuscitate order nearly four years ago. Two years ago Variety ran an obituary: VHS, 30, Dies of Loneliness.
At best, our remaining analog formats have moved to hospice. Books on cassette have finally gone the way of the 8-track according to Andrew Adam Newman in this recent New York Times article. When Detroit ditched auto tape players in the new millenium, the audio cassette's demise was assured.
Tape may be the last medium completely supplanted by others, those being the DVD and CD. We're seeing the genesis of a marketplace where many delivery systems, including disc/streaming on demand/downloads, comfortably and profitably co-exist. Future library material acquisition models are likely to look like nothing in use today.
If only I had a crystal ball - I could retire a wealthy man.
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