Not entirely free, of course. Taxes collected from those same people cover the cost of running the library, but there's no added costs involved when you borrow a book and return it on time.
Along those same lines, if you've already signed up for the Amazon Prime program, in essence, you've paid your taxes that cover the cost of borrowing a book from...Amazon.
Yes, that Amazon. The online vendor that has driven many a small brick and mortar to the wall.
Those who pay extra for quicker shipping on their orders can now borrow a book from Amazon and download it to their Kindle.
Only the Kindle, or the new Kindle Fire tablet device. The borrowing program will not work on any other device with a Kindle app. The borrower can keep the book as long as desired, and the book then disappears when another book is borrowed.
That's one book at a time, unlike the public library where you can help yourself.
Libraries aren't overly concerned. Not all their patrons can afford a Kindle, and not many would then cough up another $79 to cover the cost of the Prime program. Besides, libraries have begun lending e-books and the selection is much better than Amazon's offering.
It should come as no surprise that the major publishing houses are NOT participating.
They're in the business of selling books, not letting Amazon pay them a flat fee for use of a copy which gets loaned out to thousands of potential buyers. With Amazon reaping the profits.
The lending idea is too new to know if it will work. Amazon has found many niches where others thought none existed, but how large is the market of voracious readers who could read enough to make the $79 fee cost effective?
And when you can go online to your public library's website and download a book from a bestseller list, why would you bother with Amazon?
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