Free? Library

Got my library card.  Do not understand the concept of the ‘Free’ Library.  That is in the name.  The Village name followed by the word ‘free’ and ‘library’.  I asked if they were part of the public system.  She says they are.  Sort of.  I asked if they had fund-raisers.  Yes they do.  She said they are part of a 4-library system, I think she also said in four counties.  It is as yet unclear what the procedure is if there is a book not available from among the books on their shelves.  Yes, they have a book club that meets once a month, but ‘Mrs Volunteer/person-behind-the-desk’ seemed reluctant to share the information.  Could not quite remember what the book was for this month or exactly what the date was.  Perhaps this is a closed group.  It was all on their website she said.  When I took a minute before exiting, I saw that she had given me the website for the 4 libraries together, not the specific one for the village.  I did find that there is a book club meeting 15 June in the other village.  I’ll try for that one.