[samsa]

For a public library that traffics almost exclusively in popular materials (genre fiction and non-fiction written for a general audience) print books are bought with the understanding that they will be “weeded” after a couple of years anyway.

[II2II]

Mostly, but not entirely. While libraries may acquire multiple copies of popular materials that have a very short shelf life, there are many circumstances when they will maintain a copy over an extended period. The shelf life also varies considerably according to the type of book. While genre fiction may only be around for a couple of years, non-fiction seems to stick around for a decade or more.

[jpindar]

Every public library I've been in had lots of books that were older than a couple of years.

[WalterBright]

The local public library's contents look mostly like what you'd expect in a K-12 school library. I suppose they know who their customers are.

[triceratops]

Most public libraries offer Inter Library Loans that afford access to a far wider range of content.

[op00to]

So? Imagine if we didn’t need to rebuy bullshit romance novels every few years as they’re stained with god knows what. Imagine how much further that money can go for the common good.

[calibas]

Hey, let's get rid of something I don't like. It's for the "common good".