Content Working with renewed library books in Kindle

Has anyone run into this: you have ebooks borrowed from your library on Kindle, you renew/extend the loan (using an app like Libby or Overdrive), but then the local copies of the books expire on the original return date anyway, even though you renewed a couple of days early. This then requires you to delete the loaned book, and redownload it.

Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but seems not a very smooth process. Kind of disruptive and annoying. It seems odd that when you extend a loan period, they cannot just push a new token to your device and use it with the already downloaded copy of the book. Unless I'm missing something.

ETA: Haven't seen a solution to this yet, may ping Kindle service if I get time in the next couple days. One good news item is that notes you take on loaned books do stay in the Kindle 'notebook' in your account, and when you renew loan and re-download the book, Kindle is able to reassociate those notes with the book without losing a beat. The next question I'm wondering now is, what if I were to BUY one of these library books, same ISBN, would Amazon be able to correctly associate the notes with the owned copy? I'm going to cautiously expect yes.

[lumpynose]

Rather than ask Kindle service I'd try your local library, at least at first. (Mine doesn't provide renewals for ebooks.)

Originally Posted by lumpynose

Rather than ask Kindle service I'd try your local library, at least at first. (Mine doesn't provide renewals for ebooks.)

Mine does--you can renew online or the Libby app.

[Barbara1955]

Mine allows renew ONLY if there is no one else wanting it

Right, but to be clear, I had no issues at all renewing my ebooks. They renewed just fine in the Libby app, and I confirmed on the website. But what happened was then, a couple days later, the books on my device seemed to think they had expired (the original checkout period), and were no longer accessible. So then I just manually deleted them, then had to go manually click on each of the already renewed books in the library, and resend them to my Kindle.

So it all worked, manually. I just thought it was odd that when you renew an ebook, the library software wasn't smart enough to communicate with the files on your Kindle device and update the checkout token, so you wouldn't have to manually delete, then re-download, the books you renewed. Again not a big deal, I will probably just ping the library about it and give feedback on their software and renewal process. But wondered if anyone else had seen this or discovered a slicker/quicker way to renew without having to re-download.

[Deskisamess]

I've never renewed a library loan, but my library does allow it if no one else is waiting for the book. I believe you still have to return the book, then borrow it again. It is clumsy, but it counts as a regular loan that way. I've seen other users talk about the same thing on the old Amazon forums.

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by maximus83

...

Public libraries seem to be on the trailing edge of the technology curve rather than the leading edge. They are government workers after all.

[Shad Plante]

My library allows you to put a hold on the book within 3 days of it expiring. The books expires and has to redownload.

[tomsem]

I don’t consider this a very serious problem, all things considered. Granted, I rarely attempt to renew; I just try like heck to finish before the loan expires (motivation). If I miss, I just get back in line at some point to borrow it again.

Yes, it does mean you have to put your Kindle down, and use some other device (computer browser, or Overdrive/Libby app running on phone/tablet) to get it added back to your Kindle library. But it is same if borrowing for the first time (In the distant past, I was able to use Experimental Browser to access library’s OverDrive portal and borrow stuff, but after proving to myself that it could be done, albeit painfully, I have not tried it since.)

I’m not sure it is any better on a Kobo eReader, even with OverDrive integration built in (both owned by Rakuten of course). I don’t have one and the details in the User Guide are minimal. Once you configure Overdrive/library credentials, it looks like you have to visit Kobo Store and browse and check books there to see if they can be borrowed: no way to browse the library’s collection directly. Then after it downloads, you can filter library view to see what you have borrowed. Does not seem you can even return books from the eReader, they just expire and vanish. Also not clear if you can borrow using web/Libby/Overdrive and pick it up on your Kobo eReader (or Kobo apps) wirelessly; there’s no mention of it so I assume not. So from the little I can glean it seems an inferior user experience, maybe not even as good as the Sony had (if I remember you could browse library collection directly). But I would be curious to hear from someone who has first hand experience with it.

I’m very happy with the way Overdrive service supports Kindle platform, and hope it continues even though Rakuten and Amazon are competitors.

[elsussman]

Originally Posted by lumpynose

Public libraries seem to be on the trailing edge of the technology curve rather than the leading edge. They are government workers after all.

Hey. don't knock libraries. They are the bedrock of democracy. I consider my interaction with public libraries as foundational to making me a success both professionally and personally. The problem is that libraries are underfunded. They are always one of the first things that are put on the chopping block when governmental bureaucrats want to slash budgets.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by maximus83

It seems odd that when you extend a loan period, they cannot just push a new token to your device and use it with the already downloaded copy of the book. Unless I'm missing something.

Technically it makes sense the way it works. When you borrow with Overdrive and get the Kindle version, then Overdrive does not know who exactly receives the loan. Whoever is logged in or logging in to Amazon will get the loan (if it is eligible, like a US account). When you renew how would Overdrive know whom to send the information to? Also quite possibly it is a money issue. I don't believe for a second that Amazon is doing the library thing for free. They may not allow altering an existing loan and require Overdrive to issue a new loan including a new fee payment (either original+extended borrow time or just the extended).

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by elsussman

Hey. don't knock libraries. They are the bedrock of democracy. I consider my interaction with public libraries as foundational to making me a success both professionally and personally. The problem is that libraries are underfunded. They are always one of the first things that are put on the chopping block when governmental bureaucrats want to slash budgets.

Yeah, I completely agree. It was an observation, made out of frustration, not meant as a knock. I always have a pile of library books on my book table.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I’m not sure it is any better on a Kobo eReader, even with OverDrive integration built in (both owned by Rakuten of course). I don’t have one and the details in the User Guide are minimal. Once you configure Overdrive/library credentials, it looks like you have to visit Kobo Store and browse and check books there to see if they can be borrowed: no way to browse the library’s collection directly. Then after it downloads, you can filter library view to see what you have borrowed. Does not seem you can even return books from the eReader, they just expire and vanish. Also not clear if you can borrow using web/Libby/Overdrive and pick it up on your Kobo eReader (or Kobo apps) wirelessly; there’s no mention of it so I assume not. So from the little I can glean it seems an inferior user experience, maybe not even as good as the Sony had (if I remember you could browse library collection directly). But I would be curious to hear from someone who has first hand experience with it.

You've made two incorrect assumptions in regard to borrowing from OverDrive with Kobo. You can borrow an ebook via any portal and it will push to your device the next things it syncs and you can return a book directly from the device (and even if you borrowed it elsewhere).

I'm not fussed about checking availability in the Kobo store before I borrow a book. If it turns out it's not available through Kobo, I'll just sideload it; it hasn't happened yet anyway. And it can be very handy to look for a book on my device and see that the options include borrowing! Once OD allowed borrowing for Kindle in the US I'd say they had the edge because you didn't have to tether your ereader to get your book, but Kobo now has the lead in making another device for the actual borrowing unnecessary.