One of my local libraries recently threw out a dumpster full of books. There was a minor public outcry at the desecration of literature. The books in the dumpster had all been on sale for the last year, priced at 10p (13 cents) each. Most of them hadn't been checked out for over a decade and some hadn't been checked out since the 1970s.
Sending books to be pulped is always sad, but the truth is that there are just too many books. A researcher doesn't gain a great deal of benefit from seeing an original paper copy; in most cases, they'd prefer a digital copy. Preserving paper is inherently more expensive than preserving microfiche or digital scans. Librarians love books, that's why they became librarians, but sometimes it's just not possible to justify the shelf space for something that nobody is ever likely to read.
Sending books to be pulped is always sad, but the truth is that there are just too many books. A researcher doesn't gain a great deal of benefit from seeing an original paper copy; in most cases, they'd prefer a digital copy. Preserving paper is inherently more expensive than preserving microfiche or digital scans. Librarians love books, that's why they became librarians, but sometimes it's just not possible to justify the shelf space for something that nobody is ever likely to read.