to point out to all you voracious readers that you could be reading lots of digital books for FREE courtesy of your humble local library!

[StrangeAndUnusual]

Sorry if you already know or aren't interested. But I've just recently twigged this and love it so much that I want to spread the word!

If you're a member of your local library (which is free - just turn up with ID & proof of address and join), then you get access to its digital services too.

That means a whole digital library of books. I read them on my phone. but you can read them on a tablet/computer/whatever - even on your Kindle. There's an app called 'Libby' which you download on to your device and that gives you access to the library catalogue.

You borrow books, and they get automatically returned on their due date - so no fines. It is absolutely completely free. The reading experience on the app is very similar to Kindle. (If you want to read the book on an actual Kindle, you export it to your kindle rather than using Libby).

The catalogue isn't as huge as I'd like, but I've found lots of things I want to read. I especially like it for guilty-pleasure blockbuster type books that I enjoy reading once but don't want to own. I imagine that the more people that use it, the more money the library will spend on acquiring digital loan rights. (So I have a vested interest in encouraging you to try it out!)

It's brilliant - the library without having to swelter in our overheated library.

Not all books work, and the catalogue can be a bit limited, but it is brilliant. I use a nook so long battery life and works better.

I’d love to know how to get this to work on a kindle paperwhite. The staff in our library didn’t have a clue about it for any devices.

Although I guess it would make it even easier to close libraries if we all borrowed books digitally instead?

I know - it's like being able to saunter into the local library in the middle of the night in your pyjamas and pick up a book, without getting arrested or being stared at :)

Pretty shit for authors though.

Why? Digital rights management means they get paid same as when you borrow a physical book. Library, not theft.

Oh, and the software for many libraries doesn't work on kindles. Sorry, that's Amazon products for you.

I'm an author too. I think it's brilliant for authors, because of the PLR payments - as a PP said, just like with physical books. The more people that can borrow my books in more ways the better. Obviously even better if they buy them, but not everyone is going to buy every book they read.

I would borrow digital books from my library, but I prefer to read ebooks on my kindle rather than my phone or tablet (much easier on the eyes), but they're not compatible with kindle.

OP, what system is your library using which downloads to kindle, it might be worth the rest of us hassling our councils to use that instead.

On the OverDrive app, there's an option to send the book to Kindle instead. I don't use it, but my DH has and it seems to work.

aah, my library uses CloudLibrary which would work on a kindle fire, but not a standard kindle.

I'm a member of two libraries (live on a border) - one uses cloud library and one a website which then downloads the books via an adobe product.

neither are very good; clunky fisher-price interfaces, slow downloads, infantile filing (always defaults to fiction and chick-lit at that) but with a bit of work I can get at the books.

I use BorrowBox for my local library (is brill), and have used RBDigital but it crashed too often. You can also get some magazines with some libraries' apps.
My own library has thousands of digital books but I'm not too concerned about losing my job. As the profession has been saying for decades - libraries are about more than just books...

I did not know this, my local library has closed but this would mean I can access the main library. Thanks StrangeAndUnusual!

The library would be great if only it were open at any time outside 9-4.30, Mon-Fri...

Infuriatingly, as others have said, this doesn't work for standard kindles. Which is a huge shame as I have two voracious readers and a tiny local library with rubbish opening hours and you can only reserve 6 books. I really wish it worked for bog standard kindles!

I had no idea this was available - will investigate next time I'm in town and see if I can use it on my laptop as don't have a fancy mobile.

Thanks OP.

My pleasure, silvery!

Hmm. Except PLR for ebooks hasn't actually happened yet has it? Only for books actually downloaded in the library (not many). Remote books are not eligible til July 2018? And then you won't be paid till 2020. Happy to be corrected on this though.

So better to borrow physical books for authors. (And only in those authorities that do the count). But yes, for ease of access, ebooks are great.

Lots of authorities have open access for libraries now where you can get in out of hours with a pin and your card.

Our library does this but not for Kindle. I don't like reading books on a tablet.
However I do read newspapers on a tablet and library have just launched a free digital newspaper service which is brilliant. Uses an app called PressReader and you can get virtually any paper or magazine.

Eeek merry legs, did not realise that!

Really? There are limited numbers of copies and sometimes you have to reserve, same as physical books. Bit crap if there's all that but no author payments.

thanks Strange I didn't know this either

My library doesn't support Kindle.

Queen my library uses Borrowbox as well. I've downloaded loads of books, very useful for when I go on holiday. To be honest though, I much prefer a "real" book.

This sounds brilliant, thanks for sharing OP, I hadn't heard of it before.