Amazon ebooks and libraries

[John F]

Has Amazon made a statement if the books they sell/publish will be available at libraries (as ebooks)?

I seem to be running across more and more ebooks that are sold by (published by?) " Amazon Digital Services, Inc. ", and they never seem to be available as ebooks at the library. For example: http://www.amazon.com/The-Penelopiad...mm_kin_title_0

Thanks.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by John F

Has Amazon made a statement if the books they sell/publish will be available at libraries (as ebooks)?

I seem to be running across more and more ebooks that are sold by (published by?) " Amazon Digital Services, Inc. ", and they never seem to be available as ebooks at the library. For example: http://www.amazon.com/The-Penelopiad...mm_kin_title_0

Thanks.

Books listed as "Amazon Digital Services" are distributed by Amazon but not published by them.
Most are indie or self-pubbed titles. Many are KDP.
Don't expect them at libraries for a while, as libraries don't, as a rule, deal in Indie books.
Smashwords has gotten a handful of libraries to consider their ebooks but I expect it'll be a while, and require higher indie ebook market share before the libraries change their purchasing processes and policies.
Even small trad-pub presses have a hard time getting libraries to pay attention to them.
Hundreds of thousands of new indie titles a year? Not soon.

[susan_cassidy]

Libraries aren't going to want to pay for indie-type books. They want popular books, that many people would want to check out.

[Blossom]

My library buys Indie books all the time. Usually they are put out by very small publishers though.

[John F]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Libraries aren't going to want to pay for indie-type books. They want popular books, that many people would want to check out.

I'm not sure how important popularity is at libraries (I'm sure it is important, but I would think popularity isn't the only criteria). I see many very specialized books being added regularly (which I assume aren't highly popular). Whenever I ask for a book to be added, they add it. And look at the book I linked to (a book by Atwood), I'm guessing that the book would be "more popular" then some of the other stuff they purchase?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by John F

Has Amazon made a statement if the books they sell/publish will be available at libraries (as ebooks)?

I seem to be running across more and more ebooks that are sold by (published by?) " Amazon Digital Services, Inc. ", and they never seem to be available as ebooks at the library. For example: http://www.amazon.com/The-Penelopiad...mm_kin_title_0

Thanks.

That eBook is available for library purchase via Overdrive. Now if you want it and your library doesn't have it, you'll have to request that your library gets it.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by John F

I'm not sure how important popularity is at libraries (I'm sure it is important, but I would think popularity isn't the only criteria). I see many very specialized books being added regularly (which I assume aren't highly popular). Whenever I ask for a book to be added, they add it. And look at the book I linked to (a book by Atwood), I'm guessing that the book would be "more popular" then some of the other stuff they purchase?

It varies by library but some take advantage of where you can recommended titles for purchase. There is quite a few indie titles that Overdrive carries. You just need to do a advance search and check the Additional titles to recommend box. If Overdrive carries it you can then click the recommend button by the cover and it will ask if you want to be notify when it is added and if you like to be auto added to the hold list.

I've use this several times. It's easy and the libraries usually adds it the next time they add titles to their catalog.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That eBook is available for library purchase via Overdrive. Now if you want it and your library doesn't have it, you'll have to request that your library gets it.

Originally Posted by Blossom

It varies by library but some take advantage of where you can recommended titles for purchase. There is quite a few indie titles that Overdrive carries. You just need to do a advance search and check the Additional titles to recommend box. If Overdrive carries it you can then click the recommend button by the cover and it will ask if you want to be notify when it is added and if you like to be auto added to the hold list.

I've use this several times. It's easy and the libraries usually adds it the next time they add titles to their catalog.

Thanks. I tried searching, and couldn't find it. But since you guys found it, I searched again, and lo and behold, I found it.

... I've use this several times. It's easy and the libraries usually adds it the next time they add titles to their catalog.

I've had mixed results with this. I've found the surefire way is to just just drop an email. Plus there appears to be (a pretty low) limit on how many you can recomend through the website.

[Fbone]

Is this recommend box below the "show available" box?

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Is this recommend box below the "show available" box?

Look at the bottom of the Advanced Search Form for.

Show me:

• My library's collection
  
• Only titles with copies available
  
• Additional titles to recommend

The last option is the box to check. Not all libraries participate in the feature. So it may not be there. Out of the 3 I belong to only one doesn't have it.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by John F

Has Amazon made a statement if the books they sell/publish will be available at libraries (as ebooks)?

No.

I seem to be running across more and more ebooks that are sold by (published by?) " Amazon Digital Services, Inc. ", and they never seem to be available as ebooks at the library. For example: http://www.amazon.com/The-Penelopiad...mm_kin_title_0

That one was originally released in 2005, before Amazon went into publishing. Overdrive offers it. Checking at search.overdrive.com, the only US libraries that have the eBook are Philadelphia and Seattle, but many libraries in Britain, Australia, and Canada offer it.

However, my impression also is that books originally published by Amazon, and of interest to libraries (basically those with mainsteam media reviews), are not offered through Overdrive or its much smaller competitors (3M Cloud Library and Axis 360).

Here are examples of mainstream reviewed books, published originally by Amazon, and unavailable to libraries:

Jeff, One Lonely Guy

The Hangman's Daughter (English translation)

My Mother Was Nuts

The Detachment

Also library-unfriendly is Amazon not letting Kindle format eBooks be sold by Overdrive outside the US.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Look at the bottom of the Advanced Search Form for.

Show me:

• My library's collection
  
• Only titles with copies available
  
• Additional titles to recommend

The last option is the box to check. Not all libraries participate in the feature. So it may not be there. Out of the 3 I belong to only one doesn't have it.

Thanks. Neither of my libraries has the extra options. One has stopped purchasing ebooks but the other does but minimally.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Thanks. Neither of my libraries has the extra options. One has stopped purchasing ebooks but the other does but minimally.

Time to join FLP or Brooklyn. I belong to both. I prefer Brooklyn but they don't let you recommend titles but they have alot and are always adding more.

[elemenoP]

I have requested two books using Brooklyn Public Library's Facebook page and they acquired one of them. Better than 0?

eP

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Time to join FLP or Brooklyn. I belong to both. I prefer Brooklyn but they don't let you recommend titles but they have alot and are always adding more.

I've recommended many books to the BPL and they've bought almost every single one. I used their contact page for that. Sometimes, I would even get a heads-up email on when the book would be available at the library so I could check it out before anyone else.

Except for one book recently I haven't made recommendations in a long while so I'm not sure if things are still done the same way.