I was able to walk to the library as a child, actually - plus some places have Bookmobiles. There were also libraries at schools. A kid's experience might vary

I was able to walk to the library as a child, actually - plus some places have Bookmobiles. There were also libraries at schools. A kid's experience might vary with all of these, though: I also lived a 5-minute drive from a place with no free public libraries with the exception of a school.