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It's been ages since I was in a library that invited a sense of treasure hunting when I browse the stacks. Public library collections I've browsed in the past few decades tend to be ruthlessly culled of older volumes that haven't been checked out a sufficient number of times lately to earn their shelf space.
The best musty old, unruly library I ever encountered was attached to the Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia, back in the late 1970s. It was kept for the use of the legislators and their staff, who apparently had forgotten about its existence. I could roam around in the stacks and was happy as a hog in a wallow on a hot, hot day.
― it is to laugh, like so, ha! (Aimless), Saturday, 17 July 2021 17:43 (two years ago) link
I think our local library does a pretty decent job of both. They really do keep up to date with more modern, tech reliant services, but they also cordon those off to separate floors of the library and there are indeed still corners where I do manage to still feel lost in the books. I'm pretty pleased with how they manage the balance in 2021.