Comments on: Amazon’s Lending Library as Competition

By: Mike Lovett

Mike Lovett — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:26:53 +0000

Way Barra- I saw your suggestions for adding the “suspend holds” and “renew” functionality to OverDrive’s digital library platform. Thanks for the ideas! I’ve passed them on to our development team! -Mike (OverDrive social media guy)

By: Way Barra

Way Barra — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 22:56:39 +0000

“My last & maybe biggest gripe w/ the regular library is that they won’t put you next in the queue if you want to delay downloading a book until the next copy becomes available.[...]That is a really annoying & unnecessary artifact of the regular library’s lending system IMO.”

In the system where I worked, it was just the opposite. Users could ‘suspend’ their physical holds in situations like the one you described, either with help from staff or by themselves through their online account. Of course, our eBooks used the OverDrive framework, where suspending holds is not an option. Along with support of renewals, it’s one of the two features we’d most like to see in the future.

By: Andrew Walsh

Andrew Walsh — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:00:33 +0000

Hi, I read your “Annoyed Librarian” blog entry after googling for an easier way to search the Kindle Lender’s Library. Personally I think real libraries also “kinda suck” when it comes to borrowing eBooks for the Kindle. In fact disatisfaction w/ the experience is what led me to try Amazon Prime & the Kindle Lenders Library. Sure, you can have 3 books checked out at one time vs 1 w/ the Kindle library. And yes, as far as I know w/ the real library there is no “monthly limit”. But generally I find I have to wait months to check out a book from the real library (you get put on a waiting list) whereas w/ the Kindle Library it can be checked out instantly. #2, you can take as long as you want to read the book w/ the Kindle Library whereas w/ the real library you get only 2 weeks to finish. 2 weeks is just not enough time for me to read many of the books I would like to read, they are too long & I have a busy work schedule. #3, searching for ebooks at the regular library is just as bad as searching for books using the Kindle library, they both offer inadequate search tools at this time. Note: I use the New Hampshire Downloadable Books website for my regular library book searches (if there’s a better way, I would love to know of it). My last & maybe biggest gripe w/ the regular library is that they won’t put you next in the queue if you want to delay downloading a book until the next copy becomes available. This can happen if you see yourself having a busy work schedule in the next 2 weeks (too busy to read, yes it happens). No, instead they make you wait months again by putting you at the end of the queue. That is a really annoying & unnecessary artifact of the regular library’s lending system IMO. So long story short….so far as I can determine, I see no advantage the regular library has over the Kindle lender’s library when it comes to the eBook (Kindle format) category. JMHO, of course :)