Here's the thing: 50 years ago libraries and book stores were on roughly equal footing. Both of them provided access to print books, and you had to physically get the book.

Today, they are not on equal footing. Libraries still have their traditional inconveniences (e.g. waiting lists, due dates) but certain publishers are attempting to make libraries irrelevant by restricting their access to ebooks. They are effectively telling librarians and library patrons that they cannot reap the conveniences of ebooks, while businesses are allowed to benefit from ebooks. That would be kinda like the auto industry saying that they will sell vehicles with internal combustion engines for private use, but public transit can only use horse drawn carriages. Public transportation would sink into irrelevance.

Which is why we need strong property rights for purchasers. The moment that those rights cease to exist is the moment that society becomes subservient to the interests of businesses. That is not a very happy thing. You only have to look at the history books to realize that.