Comments on: Amazon Announces Kindle Lending Library for Prime Members

By: Scott Duncan

Scott Duncan — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:17:28 +0000

as a small indipendent and ethical e-book publisher I think it is great, it enables me to compete with the big boys out there and also help more people in the process as the royalties go to good causes.

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:28:52 +0000

Good point John. I’ll confess I thought a Kindle would be free by this Christmas.

You’re right about the campaign, one of the biggest challenges facing libraries is that we have no unified voice to speak on our behalf.

By: John Schoppert

John Schoppert — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:39:07 +0000

Thad and Bobbi,
Kindles will be free in a few years, if not by next Christmas. I would guess that Kindles or the Fire will even be packaged in educational offerings thus setting the hook. And it may not even matter that the big 6 wont make titles available to lend, Amazon may have reduced them to the Wary 3 + Amazon Publishing.
Books wont go away soon, and libraries will always be the haven for those affected by the digital divide, but libraries will have to come up with original concepts and content to keep interest high for those not beyond the divide.
And think of this, Amazon has very deep pockets for a national advertising campaign, name even one beloved local library that has that power.

By: Thad McIlroy

Thad McIlroy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:14:55 +0000

Good point!

By: Why Amazon’s Lending Library is Not a Threat to Public Libraries | Librarian by Day

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:37:40 +0000

[...] I had no idea that Amazon’s announcement would signal the end of the world, or at least the end of public libraries, or as my friend & colleague Andy puts it, the library apocalypse or I would have included this in yesterday’s post. [...]

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:02:18 +0000

I would still argue that the 43.6 million Americans living in poverty and of those the 20.5 million living below the poverty level will not have access to Kindle nor be able to pay for the $79 year for a prime membership per family member that is required.

There are many who would argue that libraries are about information and content no matter what format they might be in. There are others who would argue that we are community centers and community hubs.

But I don’t believe that print is dead or will be in 5 years. Right now only 12% of the public actually owns an ereader. Just by the fact that you and I are online and talking about this means our perspective is skewed. Its very hard to see outside our own bubble.

By: Thad McIlroy

Thad McIlroy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:10:09 +0000

I was speculating “out a few years” and also acknowledging the fact that everyone de facto has a Kindle because the software runs on virtually all devices. I’m just not willing to cut Amazon any slack when it comes to libraries. I think that the company does everything it can to undermine them…even when, as with its Overdrive deal, it appears to be supporting them.

Libraries are to me much more than books, but without books, are they libraries?

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:57:36 +0000

I agree Laura!

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:57:19 +0000

exactly!

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:57:03 +0000

Thad
There are a couple of problems with this scenario. Right now you can only borrow one book per month from Amazon. So three books at time isn’t possible. You are assuming several things here that are false a) everyone has a kindle b) everyone can afford a kindle c) everyone wants a kindle d) that even if someone has a kindle and this option that they won’t still use the public library e) that books are the only reason people use the library library.
Also in your scenario there would be no book sales at the public library because a great many of those books come from donations and you can not donate ebooks, so there wouldn’t be any to sell.