I sympathize with your concerns, but I also understand why museums are eliminating paper maps. Museums are trying to be more "green" and those maps always resulted in a lot of solid waste and litter.
And it is a cost savings. You don’t see as many green initiatives that impact the bottom line.
Promoting reusability could be possible. Give people maps and offer a spot at the exit for them to be dropped back. Use that recycled paper type of paper so that it anyway looks trashed up at first use itself.
Modern museums also change exhibits from week to week, sometimes from day to day. Maintaining accurate hardcopy maps is unnecessary work. Updating an online map is the efficient way to go.
Now museums are green but I'll have to pay $500 for a new phone every two or three years plus cellular data (Seems to average $70/mo for unlimited data in US?) and these costs pay for cellular stations and electricity and electronics that become garbage after just a few years. Is that really greener?
sunk cost for museum
They can still put a large map on a wall. Minimal waste and very useable