Maybe publishers want libraries to disappear? If I recall correctly, this type of behaviour is also why the US adopted the doctrine of first sale over a century ago.

Does anyone know if public libraries have been working with university libraries in this regard. Even though their needs are different, they are working under the same laws and university libraries have been dealing with electronic books and periodicals on a large scale for a much longer time. Some of the problems that public libraries are facing now sound very similar to the problems that university libraries were facing 15 years ago.