With the increase popularity of Internet and communications its not a big surprise seeing someone making a research using a computer rather than just going to the library like the old days.
Internet growth and its huge information has become one of the biggest events in the last 20 years. Is this good or bad? Some think its good because people have much more options when they are looking for something, some people even think you take much less time finding what you're looking for in a computer than in a library. Are the hard books destined to disappear? Yes. And its great news for the trees. Internet may prevent our forests from being transformed into deserts. Paper is one of world's industries that more wastes trees in the world.
In the future, hard books may be replaced by book sized palmtops that will be able to store thousands of books (and much, much more...). But, will you miss the old ancient book? :)
Despite all advantages, the volume of paper doesn't seem to be decreasing. Everybody still prefer a "hard copy" for maximum security/guarantee. If it's true that paper documents get decomposed with time it's also true that computer's hard discs / cds / dvds / blu-rays seem to have similar problems like data corruption.
The true is that there isn't any medium that assures eternity because time takes everything sooner or later.
If pharaohs had digital media do you think such things would still be readable today? Most Likely not :)
But keeping trees is important so the digital media can be transferred to stronger mediums as they are invented...
Trees prevent desertification and landslides also they give planet the oxygen we breathe, so let's make everything we can to preserve them for the good of all humankind.