Amazon announced today that Kindle books are now available at over 11,000 local libraries in the U.S. To check out Kindle books, users can simply find them on their local library’s website, provided they offer them.
“Starting today, millions of Kindle customers can borrow Kindle books from their local libraries,” said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. “Libraries are a critical part of our communities and we’re excited to be making Kindle books available at more than 11,000 local libraries around the country. We’re even doing a little extra here – normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we’re fixing this by extending our Whispersync technology to library books, so your notes, highlights and bookmarks are always backed up and available the next time you check out the book or if you decide to buy the book.”
The following Kindle book features apply to library check-outs:
- Whispersync technology wirelessly sync your books, notes, highlights, and last page read across Kindle and free Kindle reading apps
- Real Page Numbers let you easily reference passages with page numbers that correspond to actual print editions
- Facebook and Twitter integration makes it easy to share favorite passages with your social networks
- Popular Highlights show you what our community of millions of Kindle readers think are the most interesting passages in your books
- Public Notes allow you to share your notes and see what others are saying about Kindle books
“This is a welcome day for Kindle users in libraries everywhere and especially our Kindle users here at The Seattle Public Library,” said Marcellus Turner, city librarian for The Seattle Public Library. “We’re thrilled that Amazon is offering such a new approach to library ebooks that enhances the reader experience.”
Last month, Amazon launched an HTML5 web app called Kindle Cloud Reader, which is essentially a web-based version of the Kindle reader, so you can read the books on the web.
Amazon is expected to launch a Netflix-style book service as part of Amazon prime. Members would reportedly have access to a library of older titles as part of the $79 a year membership.
This month, Amazon also started pushing AmazonLocal deals to Kindle devices.