Library offerings = major Kindle turning point, imo

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

The Overdrive backlist selection is of course terrible.

The selection of recent, serious, physical nonfiction library books, around here, has gotten so bad, due to budget cutbacks, that available Overdrive titles are looking, to me, not so much worse as similar.

I agree.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

I agree. But I could buy the book with my 3G. I like the idea of what the T1 is going to do; when does it come out?

Some T1's have already come out. Others are due in October. But you can order now to get it shipped when ready. If you think you may want a light, I suggest ordering the light cover at the same time.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Some T1's have already come out. Others are due in October. But you can order now to get it shipped when ready. If you think you may want a light, I suggest ordering the light cover at the same time.

Has it really been released yet? I've heard no reports from anyone who actually has one yet.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

The Overdrive backlist selection is of course terrible.

The selection of recent, serious, physical nonfiction library books, around here, has gotten so bad, due to budget cutbacks, that available Overdrive titles are looking, to me, not so much worse as similar.

I was looking at one of the libraries I belong to. I was looking at their new eBooks and there was a total of 137. Of that 137, all of them were out. This is eBooks bought withing a 7-day period from when I was browsing. I think we are beginning to see longer wait times because of extra users.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Skydog

I agree.

I can find plenty to read. But in most cases, I have to be lucky to get in quick or wait.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by cfo

I think you missed the point a bit.

... Also, library books can't be sent to the Kindle via 3G. It has to be WiFi or side-loaded.

I wanted to clarify here that with the 1 year old Kindle WiFi, I have long accessed from and downloaded direct to the Kindle at several sites (mnybk.net, feedback.com, internet archive, project gutenberg (and also using its Magic Catalog residing on the Kindle). Direct to my Kindle, etc.

IF there is a 'new window' call at Overdrive that halts the process, we can report it and Amazon can fix it.

The Kindle-Edition blogs deal witih new-window calls over the last year by just putting the Kindle owner through. They fixed that about half a year ago. They haven't fixed Facebook/Twitter new-window link-action probably because they don't want older-model-using Kindlers to sit there all day on 3G slogging from link->site to site.

I use the Berkeley Library, which is a wonderful one with totally free online access to all the modern computer books such as Safari Books, O'Reilly, etc., but they're not using Overdrive. So I can't try it on my library right now.

Only 8 blocks from my home, though, is a library which IS on Overdrive so I'll get a card there. Here's what that library and Overdrive say about the mechanisms for getting Kindle books loans:

http://ccc.lib.overdrive.com/519CCEE...StartGuide.htm

=======
----"Step 1 - Download and install free software

Download and install free software on your computer or mobile device.

To enjoy Kindle Books all you need is a Kindle device…

Kindle
Kindle for PC
Kindle for Mac
Kindle for iPhone®
(also works on iPod touch®)
Kindle for BlackBerry®
Kindle for iPad®
Kindle for Android™
Kindle for Windows Phone 7
Kindle Cloud Reader "
=======

Then it goes on with the other models, which require Adobe Digital Editions and the activation it requires.

With my Kindle 2 (the webrowser functioning being the same, for navigation, regardless of whether 3G or WiFi is used), I had a home Comcast-outage one night in the neighborhood for hours.

I did use the Kindle's 3G function (navigation the same) instead that night and went online to visit a favorite blog, decided to get the DX and went to Amazon's site on it and began my ordered for the DX, and then remembered I had some gift certificates I could apply. So, still on that Kindle, I then went to Gmail and got the numbers I needed for my Amazon order.

I then exited Gmail and it plopped me back on my Amazon order, which was still intact, no data lost as can happen with forms, when you 'go' somewhere else. I did complete the order of the DX that way. This was two years ago.

The mechanisms exist on the Kindle to enable direct loan to Kindle using WiFi - and I'll write to Kindle Team about any new-window calls I encounter. Will report back.

They did solve the new-page dialog-box intereference for Kindle-edition blog links and now will follow ANY link now from the subscribed blogs. Since this would be to their advantage, I don't see why they wouldn't.

I wonder what happened with Sony? Their literature has prominently said that the Sony T1 will be the first e-reader to have wireless access to public library lending directly on the device. Was there a delay with the device? Or were they just sure no one else would do it before they released it?

- Andrys

[andrys]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I was looking at one of the libraries I belong to. I was looking at their new eBooks and there was a total of 137. Of that 137, all of them were out. This is eBooks bought withing a 7-day period from when I was browsing. I think we are beginning to see longer wait times because of extra users.

Very true. And it may get worse no matter how large the library selection might be. I read today that with a Seattle library, there are about 25,000 Kindle books available, and 24,000 ePub. I've seen that Salt Lake County libraries have 13,500+ Kindle books and 10,800~ Adobe or ePub books.

The number of Kindle users is now pretty massive and financially-struggling libraries will be unindated with orders for popular books. The libraries buy a title, deliverable in any of 3 formats. Now Kindle users will be taking up copies that would have been available in the past only to ePub users.

How will the libraries handle that? I see librarians interviewed saying how excited they are about all this, but I guess they'll need to buy more title licenses because twice as many people will be requesting book loans in their libraries.

The waiting-time might be helped by several library systems announcing their solution was to go from 21 days to 7 days or 14 days. Some are strict on that, and some are just change the default loan-time to a smaller one.

[cfo]

Originally Posted by andrys

I wanted to clarify here that with the 1 year old Kindle WiFi, I have long accessed from and downloaded direct to the Kindle at several sites (mnybk.net, feedback.com, internet archive, project gutenberg (and also using its Magic Catalog residing on the Kindle). Direct to my Kindle, etc.

Let me clarify more for you then as you're still missing the point. This thread and everyone in it is not talking about getting e-books direct-to-device from just anywhere. This thread is discussing the new announcement that Kindle owners can now borrow books from select public libraries, which as tubemonkey has pointed out, is not currently direct-to-device.

Also, when you get re-directed from the library's site to Amazon, it specifically says that library books cannot be sent to a Kindle via 3G. It has to be either WiFi or side-loaded. Again, all of this is specific for the new announcement for public libraries, so I hope you no longer confuse yourself on this issue.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by cfo

Let me clarify more for you then as you're still missing the point. This thread and everyone in it is not talking about getting e-books direct-to-device from just anywhere. This thread is discussing the new announcement that Kindle owners can now borrow books from select public libraries, which as tubemonkey has pointed out, is not currently direct-to-device.

But if you can get books to the device from anywhere (whether or not you find that point boring), THEN you can also get them to the device from the public library via the WiFi it has.

That was -my- point.

Also, when you get re-directed from the library's site to Amazon, it specifically says that library books cannot be sent to a Kindle via 3G. It has to be either WiFi or side-loaded. Again, all of this is specific for the new announcement for public libraries, so I hope you no longer confuse yourself on this issue.

It may please you to be very consdescending, but it is so OBVIOUS that WiFi or sideloading are the two options with public library lending, that it shouldn't even have to be restated by anyone.

Again, for over a year, the Kindles do use WiFi and I was saying that the navigational mechanisms do allow for a computer not to be required. I'm not saying e-Ink navigation is pleasant, only possible.

[johnnyb]

Originally Posted by roebeet

But, in many parts of the US, this is no longer a factor.

There you have your answer: it is not a factor anymore in "many parts" of the US. It is still a huge factor in all parts of the rest of the world...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by andrys

Again, for over a year, the Kindles do use WiFi and I was saying that the navigational mechanisms do allow for a computer not to be required. I'm not saying e-Ink navigation is pleasant, only possible.

Some Kindles have WiFi, others do not, and of course not everybody has access to WiFi. It would be an error to put in place any mechanism which only worked over WiFi.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by andrys

Again, for over a year, the Kindles do use WiFi and I was saying that the navigational mechanisms do allow for a computer not to be required. I'm not saying e-Ink navigation is pleasant, only possible.

While the mechanisms may be in place, a computer is still required to get library books to your Kindle.

[andrys]

tubemonkey,
Since the original note said the Sony WOULD have this capability once released to the world (and those are nicely simple web browser-type pages they are using to get to the library), the current Kindle3s can go to the library via the web browser AND when redirected to Amazon CAN go there as well, as I can purchase from Amazon on my home WiFi and download Amazon books via WiFi. I don't have to use my computer.

The one possible problem is what someone else said, about a 'new window' call that can obstruct a step in the process, but as I said two notes before, Amazon solved that problem on the Kindle-edition blogs by allowing subscribers to go through that type of link from the Kindle blog without being stalled by the new-window call.

Sony's coming beautifully simple no-image pages that will be used would make it less painful though.

- Andrys

[andrys]

To others here with Kindle 3's, if you want to try this with your home or office (or any other) WiFi with the library lending, go to the Kindle's Experimental web browser under Menu/Settings and when you're online, press Menu and select Browser Settings.

At the browser settings, click on "Disable Images' ... That will make things faster,
and I use this setting when in a hurry when images are not important to the page.

(At Yelp, for example, I like to see how many 'stars' a rating has so there it's important.)

You can fill in a URL by pressing Menu and selecting "Enter URL"
Then go to your library and start the process. You won't see book cover images of course, preferring speed for this experiment, but you'd see the text descriptions.

If a 'new window' pop-up message appears and stops the Kindle process on a link, could you let me know where it happens? So far there are no new-window calls for me within the library actions.

But since Amazon is responsible for serving the file it could be that Overdrive might use a 'new window' call when redirecting you to Amazon during your check-out.

If they don't, then it's doable now.

If they do, I can write to Amazon (as before) and ask them about fixing it, if it does happen in a setting where Amazon wants people to get through a link. As I've mentioned they did fix them in general for the Kindle-edition blogs when people want to follow links to fuller news stories.

I can't try this myself today with Overdrive, as my library card is not for an Overdrive library (until I get a card at one tomorrow).

Thanks,

- Andrys

[carld]

I'm daydreaming a bit here, but it would be nice to have a free Kindle app that connected you directly one or more Overdrive libraries of your choice, no navigating by browser or anything. Simply click on the app and your current library screen appears on your Kindle. Of course they'd have to work out the download problem, but that's easy stuff.