Libraries fear digital lockdown

The BBC raises interesting questions about access to information. I'm struggling to access sources in archives and university libraries that are not easily available to members of the public. The barriers are either I'm not affiliated to an institution; they will not supply sources via inter-library loan or I have to travel great distances to visit on-site. The tradition of academic freedom and access to information is eroded by practical problems. I guess these barriers have always been there but the internet has the potential to eliminate them. BTW I'm studying history, not a subject likely to require secrecy.