A Library Card Under the Christmas Tree

"[W]hat I really want is remote access to the digital collections of the University of California, one of whose campuses is a mere 100 yards from my house....It’s mind-boggling that I cannot obtain it at any price....Objection #2: That’s why we need open access. Maybe so, but it is hard to envision a method by which the world’s publications suddenly became available free of charge for the casual user. Whatever one thinks of the social or moral aspects of the world of publishing, as a practical matter, access is a privilege. Many people are knocking at the door, but only a few (those with access privileges) get in. As a businessman, I sense an opportunity here: How to monetize the pounding at the door? ..."