THE USE OF PAPER IN THE ERA OF DIGITALIZATION - CASE OF JELGAVA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Humanity has known and used paper for millennia, but in last decades along with technological progress and available alternatives, the discussion about the use of paper increased significantly due to its significant impact on nature and to economic development and overall efficiency. Paper provides insight about risks of continuing in same pace to use paper and gives view on some most important benefits for transition from analog to digital format. Covid-19 pandemic showed perfectly importance of digitalization and many weaknesses as well. Analysis of theoretical literature and everyday life gives evidence, that we are in long cycle of information transforming, which leads to more decrease of the use of paper in future. Paper is based on real life data from Jelgava's education system including 25 institutions of all levels -- from preschool to gymnasiums, as well as other types too. Research shows tendencies, that from 2018 - 2021 the use of paper decreased to a large extent (-67,5%), while expenditures on digital platforms grew impressively (+501,4%). However, 2022 highlighted those changes were non-persistent and showed the impact of Covid-19 containment measures on these processes, which reflected after restriction were lifted in strong rebound in the use of paper. Yet the Covid-19 pandemic gave an opportunity to see what the digitalization path looks like and what we need to do to achieve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]