Why don't more people borrow e-books from the library instead of buying?

[2022HereWeCome]

Just that really. I have a KOBO e-reader and chose a KOBO over a kindle simply because I would have the opportunity to borrow books from the library's digital collection. I don't understand why more people don't borrow e-books? My library has a fantastic selection of resources and often get new books digitally as soon as they're realised.

I save an absolute fortune not buying books unless it is something I really really want. Is it just because people can't see beyond buying a Kindle or think that other e-readers are rubbish? Or is it that I'm extremely lucky with my library's system / investment.

I think Amazon has designed the kindle to be so easy to use, not just the device itself, but the process of buying and downloading - obviously in a deliberate move to put people off using a different e-reader. It's worked with me. I'm embarrassed to say I have no idea where or how you buy non-kindle e-books or whether they are a similar price to kindle copies.

I've thought about buying a cheap e-reader for Borrowbox, but I'm not sure I'd use it enough. I also like borrowing hard copies from the library, partly because every physical book I borrow is a message to the council that library buildings are still necessary.

@fluffycloudland77 how did you manage to register with Oxfordshire library please? I've tried & it says I need to take visit the library with ID before I can get a card to get ebooks etc. Are you in the local are anyway, perhaps I'm too far away (I'm in a completely different part of the country, practically the opposite end!)

My library never has the titles I want. I do use it and read stuff I maybe wouldn’t otherwise try, but 99.9% of the time they won’t have what I want to buy. When they do there’s a million people ahead of me.

I’m in the midlands. I clicked on the Abingdon branch and got a card a week later @AnotherMansCause.

Looks like they’ve changed it. I’d email and ask if you send a photocopy, of your licence.

savethecactus, you're absolutely right about buying Kindle books being so easy (frictionless is the term, I think) that you end up not even exploring the alternatives.

The only thing I’ve ever dropped in the bath are a copy of Wuthering Heights and my glasses, my Kindle is perfect for the bath and I’ve never dropped it.

I read a mix of paperback and kindle books because some books I would not pay full price for and only but kindle books on a deal. I buy most of my hard copies from the oxfam bookshop. Very occasionally I will buy a full price book from somewhere.

I don’t use the library apps because I don’t often know what I want to read, so flock through my kindle or look over my shelves and I don’t want the time pressure to finish.

I get audio books from the library but wow what a limited choice. I've gone back to the App after 6 months and so few new ones, mostly who dunnits (which I dont' read) or romance. Some self help.
Very poor choice.

Haven’t RTFT but I joined my local library just before Covid struck, and was absolutely thrilled to realise I could borrow e-books. I’m a lifelong reader and book-buyer, own thousands of books and had a serious charity-shop habit before the aforementioned Covid made it tricky to go into shops.

Then I found out what a dismal selection the library offer. It's a huge disappointment. I don’t know who's responsible for choosing what gets added or what the criteria are, but there seem (to me) to be glaring omissions. Current literary fiction woeful unless you want Sally Rooney. Great for eg Richard Osman fans - OK, that’s fine, I’ve borrowed both his books, but sometimes you want something a bit more meaty.

I read on the kindle app on my iPad. The library uses BorrowBox now and there’s no facility to request books to be added, which is frustrating - they used to use Overdrive, which did allow you to do that.

I have a huge Amazon wishlist poised to pounce on the 99p daily deals

'You can't read library ebooks on a Kindle ereader in the UK (apparently that has changed in the US but not here). You can on other less common ereaders including Kobo but you have to pay the upfront cost which is offputting if you already have a Kindle, have already bought loads of Kindle books from Amazon and feel really heavily invested in it.

Before Kindle I often bought copies of books that I'd read and wanted to own in charity shops. I still do that, and I buy books that I've read from the library (mostly paper but now sometimes ebooks too) when they come up on offer at up to £2. It's not an either/or. Reading on my Kindle is much more comfortable for my eyes than my phone.

I mean I read kindle books on the kindle app on my iPad. Library ebooks I read on BorrowBox (if that was for me, elkiedee?)

@Halsall, Thanks, I can't remember now whether my last post was in response to another specific post. I use Borrowbox and Libby/Overdrive on my phone as I also borrow print books from 3 libraries.. And I've had a Kindle erreader for more than 10 years, since summer 2011, and have bought a lot of books. When I first looked at library ebooks years ago there just werent that many.

I also have a Kindle Fire which I would like to use to read library ebooks on, but there is no space left to do snd I'm not sure how to resolve that.

My advice to anyone choosing a tablet on a non Ipad budget is to get an Android not a Fire or other Amazon device. This is because Amazon's branded tablets like Kindle fires are designed as a gateway to Amazon products and keep you locked in to their services, and make those simple to access and any non Amazon stuff harder than it should be.