There are lots of children still going to school, and there's no simple way for them to obtain books that previously would have been available for free. It is sort of a reading emergency!
Now where I live the library system is awesome, and I found the selection was way better than Barnes & Noble.
Libraries purchase a lot of books every year and it's no small amount of money. That being said it's also wasteful for many people to buy a book only to read it once. So we need to put more thought into how we can do this so we aren't so wasteful.
Having a home library has many more functions than just storing books you've once read. It's a signaling device; it's a way to show your character:; it's a way to have a possibility to share materials with others; it's a way to show your children your values; it's a reminder of things you've learned; it's soothing for many to have books around; they can be a useful reference or inspiration; ...
Books are not just a throwaway product like a daily newspaper - they have many roles to play.
I am moving away from kindle for exactly these reasons above; I'm sad I don't have these benefits with the many books I read digitally.
I used to think all of that. Then getting rid of my books improved my life more than almost any other act. It took time and a few rounds of culling, but transformed how I looked at possessions and led to reducing much of my other stuff. I wrote it up, hoping it might help someone like I was: https://joshuaspodek.com/less_please.
My home library is mostly of two sorts: reference books I might need (field guides, math/engineering texts, knot books, etc) and books I haven't read yet. After all, who wants a library full of books they've already read? If I particularly like a book and expect I'd re-read it, I'll keep it, but the rest I donate.
Now where I live the library system is awesome, and I found the selection was way better than Barnes & Noble.
Libraries purchase a lot of books every year and it's no small amount of money. That being said it's also wasteful for many people to buy a book only to read it once. So we need to put more thought into how we can do this so we aren't so wasteful.