I'm surprised I rarely see concern for virtual book sharing killing off the vast US public library system that has so far - and rather remarkably - successfully

I'm surprised I rarely see concern for virtual book sharing killing off the vast US public library system that has so far - and rather remarkably - successfully survived the mass use of the Internet and rise of Amazon's Kindle. That public library system is a national treasure and needs to be protected. If virtual book sharing becomes very common online, the majority of public libraries will die. It'll consolidate down to a smaller number of large public libraries that do the lending. Even if just half of small public libraries close, it'll be an enormous cultural tragedy. It's common for small towns and cities in the US to have public libraries, they're invaluable resources and part of our national heritage. I'd rather not see our national public book stock and access relegated to further intense centralization. I grew up in a smaller town in Appalachia, we had a great public library and we were fortunate to have it. It was on the larger side and mostly well run. Everyone used it, everyone had a library card as a rite of passage. It also had community value far beyond the book utility value. (I use the past tense for my own experience, however it's still a fully operational library)