I didn't really read this, but it might not be that simple.
Most libraries will actually let you check out books "indefinitely," as long as you come back and renew every once in awhile.
If this church is splitting up checking out these books among different members, then it would be very difficult for a library to properly detect and enforce restrictions on them.
Even if the library could identify these people and put methods in place to stop them from what they're doing, it would still be a hassle and the church could be happy with just inconveniencing the 'liberal' library.
That makes a lot of sense.
This might make some of you uncomfortable, but it seems like this coincides with women's adoption of tech and social media.
Women already read at way higher rates than men, but since so many of them are swept up in the social media hysteria, they literally don't have time or patience to do it any more.