Amazon Prime and eBooks

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by xendula

Yes, and I say it with pride!!

It now feels like Netflix for books.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by xendula

Yes, and I say it with pride!!

It now feels like Netflix for books.

Originally Posted by Blossom

I have three. Two local cards and one FLoP card.

I collect library cards too. I primarily use 5 cards and have around 10 or so.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by Blossom

You have 7 days to pick up the book when it is lent to you and 14 days once picked up to read it.

That is the catch and it applies to public libraries as well. I have never finished an eBook in 14 days. I read 2 eBooks at one time and it takes me up to 2 to 3 months to finish them.

That is why I BUY all my eBooks. My wife borrows from the Amazon Lending Library (1.7 million eBooks) and buys the free ones (55,000 eBooks).

However, I slant my purchases to the most pages per bucks I pay which excludes the short eBooks and the expensive ones.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I collect library cards too. I primarily use 5 cards and have around 10 or so.

I'm a little curious about this idea of "cards". You mean you have a physical piece of card? What do you need it for? I've never borrowed an eBook from a library, but I always imagined that it was a purely online process.

[medard]

I got a real card. Actualy a nice one.

It's the same card as the usual libary card. You need it to look up "your number".

Then you get access to a) your borrowed books (30 per 14 days), b) the ones you reserved (max 15) and c) the list of books you'd like to reserve or to borrow but you can't do that because you don't have enough free slots anymore (this list is unlimited).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by medard

I got a real card. Actualy a nice one.

It's the same card as the usual libary card. You need it to look up "your number".

Then you get access to a) your borrowed books (30 per 14 days), b) the ones you reserved (max 15) and c) the list of books you'd like to reserve or to borrow but you can't do that because you don't have enough free slots anymore (this list is unlimited).

Interesting - thanks! I have a local library which has a good eBook collection; perhaps I should sign up for it. I already have a "TBR" list, though, which is longer than any time I can reasonably expect to live .

[medard]

Oh I think that's normal.. Don't worry about this.

But you'll get other problems with an Ebook library. For example, I only have one free lending slot for the next four days. But I have 15 books reserved, of course.

I never know when I'll get my reserved books. If I get two books tonight, I can't download them both. I'd have to borrow one and skip the other one, which is extremely annoying if it's a book that you've been waiting for..

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by medard

Oh I think that's normal.. Don't worry about this.

But you'll get other problems with an Ebook library. For example, I only have one free lending slot for the next four days. But I have 15 books reserved, of course.

I never know when I'll get my reserved books. If I get two books tonight, I can't download them both. I'd have to borrow one and skip the other one, which is extremely annoying if it's a book that you've been waiting for..

If it's Overdrive you can do a early return to free up a slot or slots .

[medard]

I can't do this. But I got used to this, it's a bit funny indeed.

I'll have a look at this Overdrive system now. I'd really like to have access to a british or US-american libary. I don't read a lot of english books, but this might change..

[Bookatarian]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I have three. Two local cards and one FLoP card.

Picking up my second card in a few days...giving me access to the collections for the rest of the libraries (PINES) in my state. Best part? The card is FREE!

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by nynaevelan

Blossom: How does this work with Amazon's/publishers limit of how many times you can lend a certain book?

This works with Amazon's program so once a book you have listed is lent through Lendle.me, you cannot lend it again!

None of the Penguin books are lendable. Lendle.me is a good site; I've used it, but all it does is kind of serve as a giant list of people who have books that are lendable. The rules are exactly the same as the ones on Amazon because the lending is done through Amazon. You just get credits to be able to borrow from a group of stranger rather than trying to find a relative/friend who might want to borrow so that you can sort of share purchases.

The Lendle.me site is kind of slow, but other than that, I've enjoyed it. There are 3 lendable books that have never come available on lendle.me--so I'm still on the waiting list for them...

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm a little curious about this idea of "cards". You mean you have a physical piece of card? What do you need it for? I've never borrowed an eBook from a library, but I always imagined that it was a purely online process.

This may differ from library to library. I have a physical card for going in, but I only need to know the number on the back to check out ebooks. You can check out library books "physically" with a driver's license too BUT you can't use the auto-checkout (self-checkout) with your driver's license. You have to have the card with the bar code on the back.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I collect library cards too. I primarily use 5 cards and have around 10 or so.

WOW! And I thought I was extreme! Do they all have ebooks?

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

That is the catch and it applies to public libraries as well. I have never finished an eBook in 14 days. I read 2 eBooks at one time and it takes me up to 2 to 3 months to finish them.

That is why I BUY all my eBooks. My wife borrows from the Amazon Lending Library (1.7 million eBooks) and buys the free ones (55,000 eBooks).

However, I slant my purchases to the most pages per bucks I pay which excludes the short eBooks and the expensive ones.

I don't know if it would interest you, but I think Jeffry Hepple's books are in Prime-- they are fictionalized history books (meaning the history is accurate, but he writes them with what he supposes they might have said or felt). I like that kind of history (and generally it's the only way I'll read it). He's done mostly the Civil war stuff and some much longer works that I haven't looked into. I am pretty sure his books are in prime (he also has children's books which has nothing to do with his history ones.)

I don't read a lot of history, but I enjoy them when they are "brought alive" in this manner.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by medard

I can't do this. But I got used to this, it's a bit funny indeed.

I'll have a look at this Overdrive system now. I'd really like to have access to a british or US-american libary. I don't read a lot of english books, but this might change..

What system in what country are you using now?

As a side note:
I am at the moment researching French libraries that allow remote sign-up and have elending, and Google is not much help.

If anyone knows anything, do let me know. Quebec seems to only have English books, so it would have to be a library in France, I guess.