Amazon has struck a deal with 11,000 U.S. libraries that lets Kindle owners borrow ebooks from the increasingly high-tech institutions. The company said Kindle books accessed through this method will boast a suite of social networking support, including Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, Amazon's own Whispersync app is supported - which means benefits readers previously needed to scuff up books to enjoy, such as bookmarking and highlighting important passages, are freely available.
"Starting today, millions of Kindle customers can borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Amazon Kindle director. Marine called libraries "a critical part of our communities" and touted the announcement as an important step in bridging an ever-widening gap between the old and the new.
According to Amazon, the process itself is quick and easy.
Members whose local libraries include the online OverDrive service can visit their official sites and select a title for download. Both an Amazon.com account and active library card are required. Transactions are completed over a Wi-Fi connection or USB transfer. Those without a Kindle can still take part in the program by downloading the company's free Kindle app on a bevy of other devices, including iPad, BlackBerry and the PC Kindle Cloud Reader.
The closure of Borders stores across the country and the growing popularity of digital media consumption among e-reader and tablet owners may not spell utter doom for paper-bound books, but the convenience of downloading them from your home into a single device is hard to ignore. Amazon's agreement with libraries proves as much.
The tough part now is getting more people to actually read. Sadly, there's no app for that.
Still have a soft spot for paper books, or are you an ebook convert? Let us know in the comment section.
