Oh, that's interesting!  How about this: Why not talk with your friend, or your parent, and borrow the book.  It might be a good excuse to catch up.
assistant
Ok, you can just buy the book, right?  So the book is in your hands.
assistant
How can I take home books from a library without checking them out?
user
How about this?  The library app has a “check in” function that lets you put a book in your house without checking it out, or even taking it from the shelf!  Is that useful?
assistant
I'd rather have the book in my hands.
user