Who pays Amazon for Public Library books?

ashort · 10-19-2015, 10:28 PM

I download free books from my Public Library and have 21 days to read them. When I check them out I actually download them from Amazon. Who pays for those books? What kind of deal do they have?

Cinisajoy · 10-19-2015, 10:39 PM

Do you go to Amazon's website or is it the kindle format from your library?

AnemicOak · 10-19-2015, 11:07 PM

OverDrive and Amazon have a deal (in the US only) so that Kindle versions are often (not always) one of the checkout options (other options will be ePub and sometimes PDF). So your library buys a book and the Kindle version, if available, is fulfilled by Amazon so that the book works with things like whispersync. The price the library system pays for a book depends on the publisher.

SteveEisenberg · 10-19-2015, 11:18 PM

If we are asking about Overdrive, they always send me to amazon.com.

Then, on the same page where I say which family Kindle should be sent the book, I am asked to purchase a group of "Featured Recommendations."

When going to return, Amazon suggests I buy the library book. The only way I'd ever do that is if was a paper one I'd lost

Ideally, Amazon should be paying the library (or at least Overdrive) for the opportunity to pitch its products.

Is there any definitive answer at to whether Amazon either gets paid, or pays out, when I borrow a Kindle-format eBook through a public library Overdrive collection?

AnemicOak · 10-19-2015, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Is there any definitive answer at to whether Amazon either gets paid, or pays out, when I borrow a Kindle-format eBook through a public library Overdrive collection?

I doubt any of the contract details are or ever will be public, but why would Amazon get paid anything? If anything they should be paying OverDrive (but I doubt they are) since it's a value added service for the Kindle product line. The way Amazon would get "paid" is by selling you a book they pitch or by selling you the whispersync for voice audio attached to that particular title and by the data collected on who borrows what (this was a bone of contention when Penguin made a stink about the OD/Amazon relationship since Amazon wouldn't share the data with them).

conan50 · 10-20-2015, 12:17 AM

I don't like to defend Amazon

But Amazon hosts the ebooks on their servers and sends the ebook to your device, as well as sync everything. I have checked out a book via Overdrive and Kindle/Amazon and months later checked out the same book as I didn't finish it, and Amazon knows where I left off in the book, which is cool. Yes, Amazon hopes you buy the ebook from them, and by 'managing' it they get you to their web site, so they have some advantage, but also some responsibility managing it all. I think it is a fair trade at this point.

DaleDe · 10-20-2015, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by conan50

I don't like to defend Amazon

But Amazon hosts the ebooks on their servers and sends the ebook to your device, as well as sync everything. I have checked out a book via Overdrive and Kindle/Amazon and months later checked out the same book as I didn't finish it, and Amazon knows where I left off in the book, which is cool. Yes, Amazon hopes you buy the ebook from them, and by 'managing' it they get you to their web site, so they have some advantage, but also some responsibility managing it all. I think it is a fair trade at this point.

I would add that public libraries always pay for books and eBooks to the publisher and through them to the author of the book. It is not just Amazon in the mix.

Dale

ashort · 10-20-2015, 07:43 PM

Thank you all for your responses. I got a better idea now.

mitford13 · 10-20-2015, 08:59 PM

There was a good bit of controversy/outrage over the issue back when things were being negotiated in the 2011 timeframe, from both libraries and publishers...you can google 'Overdrive ALA Amazon servers' and find a bunch of articles.

conan50 · 10-20-2015, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I would add that public libraries always pay for books and eBooks to the publisher and through them to the author of the book. It is not just Amazon in the mix.

Dale

Right. I forgot to add that.

kaylasmith · 10-21-2015, 02:04 AM

Kindle books that you borrow from a public library are available to you for a specific period of time, just like with physical library books. Public library books for Kindle are available at libraries throughout the United States. These books are offered through a digital service called OverDrive.

10-19-2015, 10:28 PM	#1
ashort Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 1997310 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: USA Device: PaperWhite 10th Gen	Who pays Amazon for Public Library books? I download free books from my Public Library and have 21 days to read them. When I check them out I actually download them from Amazon. Who pays for those books? What kind of deal do they have?

10-19-2015, 11:07 PM	#3
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	OverDrive and Amazon have a deal (in the US only) so that Kindle versions are often (not always) one of the checkout options (other options will be ePub and sometimes PDF). So your library buys a book and the Kindle version, if available, is fulfilled by Amazon so that the book works with things like whispersync. The price the library system pays for a book depends on the publisher. Last edited by AnemicOak; 10-19-2015 at 11:11 PM.

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10-19-2015, 10:39 PM	#2
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Do you go to Amazon's website or is it the kindle format from your library?

10-19-2015, 11:18 PM	#4
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,470 Karma: 44460032 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	If we are asking about Overdrive, they always send me to amazon.com. Then, on the same page where I say which family Kindle should be sent the book, I am asked to purchase a group of "Featured Recommendations." When going to return, Amazon suggests I buy the library book. The only way I'd ever do that is if was a paper one I'd lost Ideally, Amazon should be paying the library (or at least Overdrive) for the opportunity to pitch its products. Is there any definitive answer at to whether Amazon either gets paid, or pays out, when I borrow a Kindle-format eBook through a public library Overdrive collection?

10-20-2015, 12:17 AM	#6
conan50 Fanatic Posts: 597 Karma: 14054112 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: kindle	I don't like to defend Amazon But Amazon hosts the ebooks on their servers and sends the ebook to your device, as well as sync everything. I have checked out a book via Overdrive and Kindle/Amazon and months later checked out the same book as I didn't finish it, and Amazon knows where I left off in the book, which is cool. Yes, Amazon hopes you buy the ebook from them, and by 'managing' it they get you to their web site, so they have some advantage, but also some responsibility managing it all. I think it is a fair trade at this point.

10-20-2015, 07:43 PM	#8
ashort Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 1997310 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: USA Device: PaperWhite 10th Gen	Thank you all for your responses. I got a better idea now.

10-20-2015, 08:59 PM	#9
mitford13 Guru Posts: 686 Karma: 6495650 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Arlington, VA Device: Kindle App, Kobo App	There was a good bit of controversy/outrage over the issue back when things were being negotiated in the 2011 timeframe, from both libraries and publishers...you can google 'Overdrive ALA Amazon servers' and find a bunch of articles.

10-21-2015, 02:04 AM	#11
kaylasmith Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 2003944 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: kindle fire	Kindle books that you borrow from a public library are available to you for a specific period of time, just like with physical library books. Public library books for Kindle are available at libraries throughout the United States. These books are offered through a digital service called OverDrive.

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