In light of Yudof's mention of government omission, it is positive that the "Government Documents Interim Summary" acknowledges the importance of keeping government docs available to the public. 

When I began reading the steps for "downgrading" physical collections, I thought, should we really ditch physical historical collections?  As I kept reading, I was relieved to find that the summary does not recommend losing physical documents altogether, but rather digitizing these records so that fewer copies need to be kept in print.  It makes sense that the remaining print copies could be better preserved once they are not competing with duplicates for space and attention.

Still, when reading about how fewer and fewer documents will be published in print, I feel sad.  I enjoy gently picking up an antique book, photograph, or letter, feeling the delicate paper and smelling the musty scent.  Granted, I'm kind of a pack rat and I love old stuff, but I don't want my children or grandchildren to be without that experience.  This all makes me wonder if I'm playing the role of the "old guard", hanging on to the past and digging in my heels against the future.  After we read "Party Girl" I borrowed "Desk Set" (from the library, where else?!?) with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.  Great movie.  I was frustrated with Hepburn's character and her lack of foresight--shouldn't a librarian be on the forefront of burgeoning technology?  However, I sometimes wonder if that is me when I feel so attached to my physical media: books, old scraps of paper, vinyl records, and tapes.   Now, I have certainly embraced modern technology, but I'm not quite ready to give up physical documents.  I know I've gone on this physical versus digital tangent before, but clearly it's on my mind and in the readings.  Anyway, I'm glad that the summary considers how to preserve existing documents by multiple means.

The print-digital dichotomy certainly seems to loom large in librarianship right now.  As libraries and library work continue to evolve, I like the summary's idea of librarians "repurposing existing expertise to solve new problems".   That is exactly what the corporate librarians (aka walking encyclopedias) were able to do in "Desk Set", a film made around 60 years ago, but surprisingly relevant to libraries today.  Like in the movie, it seems no one is entirely sure where libraries will end up in the next decade, but if we keep our wits about us, the flexible among us will be able to adapt and remain relevant.