> Interesting, too, that one of the other big societal institutions open to all comers, the churches, have largely dwindled.
Churches (at least in the US) haven't been open to all for many decades now, they're highly exclusive places. Yes, technically anyone can usually walk through the door on a Sunday morning for free, but other than that literal hour, Churches usually have a lot of restrictions before a person is allowed to meaningfully participate in any way (restrictions on income, location, wealth, lifestyle, etc)
US Christian Churches are basically political country clubs pretending to be non-profits by way of their religious veneer. I would argue they're almost the complete opposite of a Public Library or Emergency Room.