Archive for the ‘borrowing library ebooks’ tag
Amazon announces Kindle Owners’ Lending Library & Flow iPhone app no comments
Amazon’s PR department has had a busy day today with two interesting announcements. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library will be of the most interest to ereader fans, while the new Flow Powered by Amazon app for iPhone will be handy for researching and buying products.
The WSJ reported almost two months ago that Amazon was negotiating with publishers to bring an ebook lending service to members of Amazon Prime, and that is exactly what Amazon has just announced. Prime members will now be able to borrow ebooks from a selection of thousands of titles, including over 100 current and former NYT Bestsellers. Unlike when you borrow an ebook from your local public library system there are no due dates, nor are there any queues to line up in before your ebook is available to satisfy your reading jones.
Kindle books borrowed with the new feature can be read on multiple Kindles registered to the same account, but only on Kindle ereaders — not on other devices with the Kindle apps. Kindle owners can borrow one ebook at a time. Outstanding ebook loans will have to be returned before a new ebook can be borrowed and there is a limit of one loan per calendar month. As with regular Kindle books, annotations and bookmarks are archived and will still be there if the ebook is later purchased or borrowed again.
Titles in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library come from a range of publishers under a variety of terms. For the vast majority of titles, Amazon has reached agreement with publishers to include titles for a fixed fee. In some cases, Amazon is purchasing a title each time it is borrowed by a reader under standard wholesale terms as a no-risk trial to demonstrate to publishers the incremental growth and revenue opportunity that this new service presents.
"The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is a great new benefit for Kindle owners and an entirely new growth opportunity for authors and publishers," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. "With the growth in Prime membership and the recent addition of Prime Instant Video, we’ve been able to broaden our relationships with movie and TV studios such as CBS, Fox, and NBCUniversal and significantly increase their revenue. We’re excited to expand that investment to books – with this launch, we expect three immediate results: Kindle owners will read even more, publisher revenues will grow, and authors will see larger royalty checks."
Amazon Prime membership costs $79 per year and besides this new ebook lending feature entitles members to other benefits including free two-day shipping on millions of items sold by Amazon.com and merchant items that are fulfilled by Amazon as well as free streaming of over 10,000 movies and TV programs. A 30-day trial membership is included with the purchase of the new Kindle Fire tablet.
To browse the titles that are available visit the Kindle Store from the Kindle ereader and select ‘See all categories’ where a new ‘Kindle Owners’ Lending Library’ listing will be displayed. When browsing the Kindle Store, books that are part of the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library will display a Prime badge. Eligible titles will have a ‘Borrow for Free’ button below the Buy button when viewed on a Kindle ereader.
This new feature further weighs the scales in favor of the Kindle being the best ereader out there in terms of content and features.
Update: You can find a complete list of the titles currently available from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library here.
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Earlier today Amazon also announced a new iPhone shopping app. Flow Powered by Amazon is a new augmented reality app that lets iPhone users point their iPhone’s camera at a product with a UPC barcode to get interactive product information from Amazon.com, including customer reviews. Flow was developed by Amazon subsidiary A9.com, Inc. and is a free app at iTunes.
"This is our first step towards integrating product search technology with augmented reality," said Bill Stasior, president of A9.com. "The integration of a live camera display, graphical overlays, and visual recognition technology creates a seamless experience for a customer looking to discover information about objects in their physical surroundings."
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OverDrive adds ‘always available’ titles to help libraries meet demand for ebooks no comments
OverDrive today announced another of its platform enhancements designed to help libraries cope with the surging demand for ebooks. OverDrive will be adding collections of ebooks that are always available to patrons without having to join a waiting list.
Today OverDrive announced new simultaneous access collections coming from Thomas Nelson, Encyclopedia Britannica, Crabtree Publishing and Lonely Planet. Prior to this Liquid Comics was the only provider of a simultaneous ebook collection. These collections are available to libraries on a yearly subscription basis.
"Simultaneous access eBooks collections help public, K-12 school, and higher ed libraries provide access to more available content on their existing digital collection websites," said Karen Estrovich, manager of content sales for OverDrive. "Titles in these collections are borrowed just like other material, can be transferred to compatible devices, and will expire at the end of the lending period."
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OverDrive to announce improvements to help libraries meet growing demand for ebooks no comments
If you have tried borrowing an ebook from your local library you know that there is likely to be a long wait before it is your turn to start flipping its pages, especially if it is a popular book. This aspect of borrowing library ebooks, which is otherwise pretty much all good, is bound to get even worse as the Kindle ereaders gain access to library books later this year.
OverDrive says it will be enhancing its platform to try to help libraries cope with the explosive growth in demand for ebooks. From the press release:
As a result of unprecedented demand for eBooks, library directors, advocacy groups, and readers challenged leading eBook supplier OverDrive to find equitable and sustainable solutions to balance the interests of libraries and publishers. Key priorities for librarians include streamlined steps for customers to discover and borrow eBooks on a variety of platforms and devices, strong publisher support for library eBook lending programs, and additional options for digital book collections to meet the swell in demand.
Following a series of meetings with the Ohio Metro Library Directors, OverDrive will address these challenges by announcing a series of platform enhancements at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference (booth #3326) in New Orleans, June 24-27, 2011.
Titled ‘OverDrive WIN,’ this update to the leading eBook and audiobook service for libraries will:
- Eliminate the need for librarians and readers to deal with various eBook file formats
- Reduce library staff time for collection development and help-desk support
- Offer support for Kindle Library Lending coming later this year, in addition to every major operating system, reading device, and mobile platform
- Add hundreds of thousands of in-copyright eBook and digital audiobook records with free "eBook Samples" for immediate access on reading devices and platforms
- Enable patron driven acquisition, an opt-in program that will allow readers to immediately borrow a title, recommend to a library, or ‘Want It Now’ from online booksellers
- Provide new ‘always available’ eBook collections for simultaneous access of romance, self-help, young adult, children, and other fiction materials
- Launch ‘Open eBook’ titles, free of DRM
OverDrive will be releasing more details about its initiatives at the ALA Conference and as they are launched. Stay tuned.
Of course the one thing that libraries most need to assist shifting more of their acquisitions to digital formats to meet the rising demand is for the economy to get better so that they can get some of their funding back.
One thing you can do to sometimes reduce your wait for a very popular new ebook is to get on the waiting list before the book comes out. At my library the waiting list seems to start when the library places orders for a new book, which sometimes means you can get in line a few weeks or more before it is actually available.
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Kindle ereaders will soon be able to borrow library ebooks no comments
Well, this is something I didn’t expect to be writing about any time soon. Amazon has announced that it is indeed working with OverDrive to bring library ebook checkouts to the Kindle ereaders.
The new feature will launch later this year and will work on all models of Kindle ereaders as well as the free Kindle apps. Note taking and highlighting will be supported, and if you borrow the ebook again or buy the Kindle book all of your annotations and bookmarks will be preserved.
Being able to borrow ebooks from public libraries on the Kindle (provided the library is one of the 11,000 plus in the US that are powered by OverDrive) will remove one common complaint about the Kindle and a reason some consumers might have for buying an ereader other than Amazon’s. The Kindle Store seems to get the most free promotional ebooks, and now Kindlers will also have access to public library ebook holdings. At the moment this feature may not seem really important, especially if your local public library does not have many ebooks yet. But in the future the ability to borrow library ebooks will become increasingly valuable as libraries grow their digital collections.
Reading library ebooks may not be a perfect fit for you if your are into the instant gratification of your need to read. There is usually a waiting list, and sometimes it can be quite a long one for popular titles. You have limited time to read the borrowed book and usually can not renew it — if you don’t finish a book in the allotted time you will have to get back in line to check it out again. The maximum checkout period at my library is 21 days. While this is normally plenty of time, it may mean putting down your current read unfinished to accept your requested title when it does become available.
There also appears to be some sort of “When it Rains it Pours” clause written into the fine print on the back of my library card that seems to dictate that all titles on my waiting list shall become available at the same time regardless of whether requested six days or six months prior.
One nice thing about digital books as opposed to the paper books you might borrow from the library — ebooks don’t get stinky, dirty and full of questionable stains. That’s right, you can toss the reading gloves.
Update: OverDrive notes that once the Kindle Library Lending program goes into effect a public library’s existing collection of ebooks will all be Kindle compatible. Libraries will not need to purchase new Kindle versions of their existing ebooks.
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eBook lending websites no comments
Kindle ereaders may not be able to borrow ebooks from public libraries, but from shortly after Amazon enabled ebook lending there have been a few websites started that facilitate the lending and borrowing of Kindle books.
I doubt this is what publishers had in mind when they agreed to allow ebook lending, and I imagine there are a few more grey hairs in the publishing industry over this latest development. If ebook sales are seen to be impacted I would not be surprised if fewer ebooks have lending enabled. Of course, each ebook can only be loaned once ever, so publishers do have some protection.
On the Nook forums there are already complaints that some publishers, most notably Penguin, dropped out of the Nook LendMe program shortly after Amazon enabled the feature.
But for now this service is available if you wish. This may, in fact, be a better solution than being able to borrow library ebooks. With the explosion of new ereader owners I expect waiting lists to check out ebooks from the library to become longer and longer. Public libraries, like everybody else, are financially strapped and have limited copies of each ebook.
Here are a few websites I’ve found that bring ebook lenders and borrowers together:
- Kindle Lending Club.com
- eBook Exchange – serves both Kindle and Nook owners.
- KindleLend (Reddit)
- The Nook Users Book Club (Facebook)
- I have a Nook and I’m willing to share books (Facebook)
- Goodreads has several groups that facilitate lending. One group for Kindlers is Kindle Lending. Another for Nook users is Nook Lending.
I’ll list these on the eBook Sources page, where I’ll also list new lending websites as I find them.
Below are some of the major publishers that I’ve found that do and do not allow lending of the Kindle versions of their books. This list is not exhaustive and there may be exceptions – it is just what I’ve found by searching briefly through the Kindle Store.
Do allow lending:
- Disney
- Macmillan
- Wiley
- AmazonCrossing & Amazon DTP
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Open Road
- Grove Atlantic & Atlantic Monthly Press
- Scholastic
Do not allow lending:
- Random House
- Penguin
- Harper Collins
- Simon Schuster
- Hachette
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Thomas Nelson
- W.W. Norton
- Zondervan
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OverDrive apps for iPhone and Android now support ebooks no comments
OverDrive has updated its iPhone and Android apps, 
at long last adding support for ebooks. This means you should be able to borrow ebooks from your library (as long as it is powered by OverDrive) and read them on your Android phone or tablet (providing it has access to the Android Market) and iPhone.
At the moment the new versions include a few features such as bookmarking, brightness control and font size adjustment. OverDrive is promising to add more advanced features such as annotation, text-to-speech and more. One nice feature that is included is the ability to visit your library and download ebooks directly to the device from within the app.
The OverDrive Media Console can be found in the Android Market and in iTunes. OverDrive has a library finder to locate OverDrive-powered public libraries in your area.
Update: OverDrive is reporting that there is an apparent bug in the new version of the iPhone app that may affect you if you upgrade from an existing Media Console v2.0 installation. If the upgraded app is crashing, try powering off the phone and then restarting it. This seems to work until a permanent fix comes along.
Update 1/8/2011: At the OverDrive booth at CES I was told that an iPad optimized version of the OverDrive app should at last be released by the end of Q1 this year.
Update 2/15/2011: OverDrive released the new iPad app today.
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Most downloaded library ebooks – November 2010 no comments
OverDrive has published its list of the most downloaded library ebooks for last month.
Adult Fiction:
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
- The Confession by John Grisham
- The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
- Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
- 9th Judgment by James Patterson
- Private by James Patterson
- The Search by Nora Roberts
Adult Nonfiction:
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
- Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
- Decision Points by George W. Bush
- At Home by Bill Bryson
- The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- Is It Just Me? by Whoopi Goldberg
- The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich
Juvenile Fiction:
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
- Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
- Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
- New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
- The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- 3 Willows by Ann Brashares
- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
- The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
- Virals by Kathy Reichs
Juvenile Nonfiction:
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
- Justin Bieber by Justin Bieber
- 1,001 Facts About Dinosaurs by Neil Clark
- Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama
- Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
- Michael Jordan by Robert Lipsyte
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the World of Harry Potter by Tere Stouffer
- The Action of Subtraction by Brian P. Cleary
- All New Crafts for Thanksgiving by Kathy Ross
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eReader & Tablet News – 11/24/2010 no comments
OverDrive has announced that they now have Johanna Skibsrud’s The Sentimentalists, winner of the Giller Prize, available for Canadian libraries. The ebook is available at Kobo, but only for Canadian customers. This is really too bad — the author is probably missing out on a lot of sales due to this silliness.
At Amazon UK, The Sentimentalists
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OverDrive recently announced that next month it will finally be releasing an iPhone app that will let you read borrowed library ebooks on your iPhone. Supposedly iPad and Android apps are forthcoming as well. OverDrive has been taking its sweet time with these reading apps.
Now there is an alternative, for the iPad and iPhone at least. The Bluefire reader is free at iTunes and supports Adobe DRM. You should be able to read not only ebooks from your library (as long as their digital books use Adobe DRM), but ebooks purchased from many online sellers.
Bluefire also supports PDF files and includes a Get Books feature that lets you purchase ebooks from within the app. It would be nice if an Android version is also in the works.
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Pocketbook accidentally released a press release yesterday in which they inadvertently revealed they would have a new Mirasol-powered ereader on show at CES 2011. Nate at The Digital Reader was told by a source at Pocketbook that the Mirasol based ereader will not be released until Q3 2011.
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Yesterday Amazon launched Amazon.it, its new Italian-language site. Amazon.it launched with more categories than any previous Amazon website has had at launch.
"On August 3, 1995, we shipped our first order to Italy from the U.S.," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "A customer in Genova ordered a book called ‘Ranks of Bronze’. Since then, we’ve shipped millions of items across a broad range of categories to customers in Italy, from our websites around the world. We are now excited to open our virtual doors directly to Italian customers."
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Pandigital has a new color LCD ereader. The new model
has a 9-inch LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. Overall size of the new ereader is 5 x 7 x 0.5 inches and it weighs in at a hefty 20.5 ounces. Format support includes ePub and PDF as well as music and picture files. The Barnes & Noble ebookstore is the official content partner.
The 9-inch Pandigital ereader is $213.80 at QVC.
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Sony will finally have a reading app for Android and the iPhone available in December. This according to a new page at the Reader Store. It’s about time!
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Yasmin Studios has released an interactive version of Snow White for the iPad. Snow White – Children’s Interactive Storybook HD features graphics and animation, professional narration, optional music and characters that can be moved and respond to touch.
Snow White – Children’s Interactive Storybook HD is available at iTunes for $0.99. Yasmin Studios also has several other children’s ebook apps available.
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Bondi Digital Publishing has put every copy of Playboy magazine published from 1953 to 2010 on a hot-swappable USB hard drive that you can buy for $299.95. There are over 650 issues and more than 100,000 pages.
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Sony to Promote Digital Reading at Public Libraries no comments
Today is Library Advocacy Day, and to celebrate that Sony has announced its Reader Library program to support public libraries as they grow their ebook collections. Through the program Sony will provide public libraries with training on digital reading devices and will contribute ereaders for use by library staff. Instructional materials for library patrons on the access and use of the digital holdings at their library will also be provided.
From the press release:
The Reader Library program is open to public libraries with robust eBook lending programs. Program components include:
-- A training program for library staff developed by Sony. This one-time web-based session covers digital reading formats, an overview of sources for digital materials, and training on Sony's Reader digital reading devices. -- Sony's Reader digital reading devices for use by library staff and educational materials to provide readers background materials on digital reading devices. Sony will begin the program with a handful of libraries nationwide to tailor educational materials that reflect the content and features of each library's digital collection. -- Bi-annual update sessions designed to keep libraries and their staff current with the latest developments in digital reading content, format and devices.
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Overdrive Finds Kobo eReader Compatible with Library eBooks 1 comment
Overdrive reports that their initial testing has found that the Kobo eReader works fine with ebooks borrowed from public libraries and installed on the ereader via Adobe Digital Editions. They did note a couple of things to be aware of though:
• If you attempt to open an expired EPUB eBook, you receive a message indicating that the file cannot be opened.
• If you attempt to open an expired PDF eBook, the PDF will close without any messaging.
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