If the public library was invented today, publishers would never allow it to happen. Reading books for free? Sacrilege! They are fighting the lending of e-books tooth and nail, but it is the only way that libraries can fully meet their patrons' needs in the 21st century: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/03/book-publishers-with-surging-profits-struggle-to-prove-internet-archive-hurt-sales/