Why on earth is technology so important ...

When just a few decades ago it wasn't unheard of to have card catalogues exclusively, and no one complained?  Now it's a very different story.  From public to academic to school and special, it's assumed that at bare minimum that you, as a library, have an OPAC.  If you're an academic or school or even public library, it has become standard that you must have at least a minimum of databases and if you don't you are out of the loop and won't be frequented.  Just look at an average day at SAIT Library or one of the many libraries at University of Calgary.  You'd be surprised to see a computer free, especially during mid-terms or finals.  On-line courses are becoming mainstream on many campuses and some even exclusively offer on-line courses in lieu of in-class lectures or tutorials.