I’ve worked at just about every kind of library (public, university, corporate, museum) and they’ve all been happy to provide patrons with whatever they want, d

I’ve worked at just about every kind of library (public, university, corporate, museum) and they’ve all been happy to provide patrons with whatever they want, do extensive data collection about usage, both current and potential. What they can’t do, because of resource constraints, is provide everyone what they want, however they want it. For example, most public libraries aren’t resourced or staffed to provide large, browsable stacks of items that rarely circulate. Managing collections like this actually involves a lot of daily, tedious work to keep them accessible and properly ordered. I’ve spent many hours doing it myself and managing students doing the same. But they absolutely will get you just about any book you want, either by purchasing it or through a temporary loan. There’s not a conflict about “real circulation,” so much as their is a pragmatic inability to cater to every individual need, on demand. If you want your library to serve you better, I suggest you start using it and communicating with them about your needs. You’ll probably find the staff more than happy to help and accommodate.