My alma mater has special library privileges for alumni, but when I've looked into it it's missing some of the most important resources, so it's not worth it. Our local regional public library system also has access to materials but they're also pretty spotty.

I think the OP's question is a good one. It's unusual in some ways, in that even if you are willing to pay for library access you often can't obtain it.

The problem related to access to academic resources in this way isn't just an issue of "open versus closed" in the sense of intellectual property, or even a problem of financial barriers to access, but also a gatekeeping problem.

Someone who is willing to pay, say, an amount equal to student services fees should probably be able to access the equivalent of a university library. It feels like, say, a US citizen should be able to access journal articles through the library of congress, maybe through a nominal yearly fee. You could even limit access like ebooks etc and it would still be better than the current system.

There's so many things like this in contemporary society that shouldn't be this way.