> You have to get a library card for the library. I don’t see why there is so much outrage over this
Why do they need a "legitimate business need" to access the material? Why aren't they instead requiring a simple library card and/or identification.
That's why people are upset. This is more than just requiring a library card.
> Until some random crazy person exercises the same right and destroys an irreplaceable rare book.
Every library I've been in with rare books requires supervision by the archivist if you want to browse them. Sometimes only the archivist can handle the book.
The fact that these rare books aren't all being destroyed in mass tells me that this system works pretty well at screening crazy people from destroying books (and, frankly, there's not a whole lot of people dedicated to destroying rare books).
> Every library I've been in with rare books requires supervision by the archivist if you want to browse them. Sometimes only the archivist can handle the book.
Sure. The LOC librarians never seemed to be out of sight from 8yo me. And they were always happy to get what I asked for. It was a reasonable, functional arrangement.