As sales figures of electronic books and periodicals , the question arises: should libraries lend electronic books out for the Amazon Kindle, the Apple iPad and Barnes & Noble's Nook? Digital books are overwhelmingly easy to purchase -- the reader need not leave the comfort of an armchair to do so. So does the world still need libraries?

That question was answered with resounding affirmation during a panel discussion on the subject at the O'Reilly Tools of Change conference for book publishers, held last week in New York.

"Libraries are not solely the buildings. It is the people inside who give them meaning. Libraries are discovery centers," said Katie Dunneback, a consultant for Iowa's East Central Library Services. She noted that librarians understand what their users are looking for and can suggest new titles, regardless of whether the titles are in physical or electronic form.

Library Journal surveyed 1,000 public libraries late last year and found that 71 percent now offer electronic books. Dunneback noted that libraries in Iowa, for instance, have spent about US$1.1 million on digital books, which is a significant amount compared to $9.7 million it spends for print books.

Many publishers to the idea of e-lending, though a few, particularly McMillan, are reluctant to sell digital copies to libraries, the panel noted, perhaps fearing that library e-lending will dampen sales.