http://ruthlessculture.com/2012/01/24/why-do-people-buy-books-they-dont-read/

This research has me curious about the placement of classic literature and other such open source materials.  If you go to Barnes and Noble you find a whole collection of "complete works" that are bound in leather and stylized to look like old time novels from a bygone era.  However, considering that all of this stuff is available for free I raise the question "Why are people (am I) buying this stuff?"

The article above brings up the all expected answers.  It's highly psychological.  It's a part of self expression and finding identity.  The subject matter of the books will comment on who we are (or want to be) and the actual presence of media shows us to literate in books, films, or whatever else we keep on our shelves.  Despite the fact a great majority of material being available in some easy to access, electronic fashion, we are material creatures whose physical existence manifests itself in the fact that we want material things to help represent us.