Philly library closing

The Philadelphia Public Library is closing:

Come October 2nd, all 53 library buildings throughout the city will close. Books and DVDs will no longer be available for loan. Free internet access will cease. The community programs and meetings held in the libraries will have to find another venue, and the GED and English as a Second Language educational programs will end.

This is really sad news, and although economic factors are certainly the driving force here--the state of Pennsylvania has been operating without a budget since July 1st--I'm wondering what other underlying factors are involved?

Libraries have long been monolithic epi-centers of learning and information, and 15-20 years ago, this type of news would have been apocalyptic in nature: people would have brought pitchforks and flaming torches to City Hall. But it seems we've finally grown comfortable with the fact that the knowledge is readily available elsewhere online and on Kindles (and why wouldn't we?); that context, that precedent, is in full motion. People, of course, will continue to read and consume, but the importance of a book might become dispensable a lot faster than we thought it would (i.e., it's happening right now). "Read a book" may become the new "plant a tree," so go read a book.