Tag Archives: library

News Bits and Bytes for November 3, 2011

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There’s lots of news today on the Kindle and Nook fronts….

There is a lot of buzz today about the Kindle Lending Program.  None of the “Big Six” publishers are yet on board with what is rumored to be the start of Amazon’s “Netflix for books” lending program for books. This article from Paid Content fills in some of the details.

There is already a list of categories for the books in the lending library, and I predict that you will see lists of the books available soon.

There’s also  a thought-provoking article in Publisher’s Weekly that talks about Amazon’s program and how libraries may fit into the future of lending.

On the Nook front:

According to Engadget, The Nook Simple Touch price is being reduced to $99, effective November 16, 2011. And, B & N is pushing the fact that there are no ads!

B & N is also reducing the price of the original Nook Color to $199. In addition, they are adding apps for Hulu plus and more streaming music options for the device.

Engadget is also reporting that B & N’s new Nook Tablet (the successor to the Nook Color) will retail for $249. The tablet, which launches November 7, is touted as having everything the current Nook color has plus “the best in HD entertainment.” In-store demos start on November 15.

Kindle Lending Library Details

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Amazon explains the Kindle Lending Library program in more detail on their help page for the lending program.

A few main points:

  • The program is only for Amazon Prime Members
  • The program is only open to U.S. Kindle and Fire owners
  • The books can only be read on devices, not the software apps. They cannot be read on an iPod or iPhone.
  • The device must be registered to the same account as your Prime membership
  • The program does not begin until Thursday, November 3, 2011.
  • You can only read one book per month with no “roll-overs.”

Neither a borrower or a lender be: eBooks and the library

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An area of ebooks that is generating both excitement and confusion is that of lending books using eReaders. The Kindle still doesn’t have the ability for library loans, although it is now possible for individuals in the United States to loan each other books. Lending is a big selling point for the Nook and the Sony brand of eReaders.

However, eReader owners are finding that actually using their devices to borrow books from the library is a much more complicated procedure as this NPR article indicates. According to the article, despite all the new software to read library books on devices,

… I’m sad to report that reading library e-books is still more hassle than buying them. The whole process could be smoother, and there are questions about how libraries are going about the transition to the e-book world.

The questions about how libraries make that transition is the focus of an interesting article from librarian Meredith Wolfwater talking about the state of e-lending for libraries today.  It is a long, but thought-provoking read that shows us how far we have to go to make eBook availability through the library a viable option.

And most sources tend to agree on this one: According to a recent study, 32% of participants said that library lending was important to them.

So now it’s your turn: Is the ability to borrow library books important to you? Is it a deal-breaker in choosing an eReader?