Borrowing E-books

How to Borrow Kindle Books

// When I first got a Kindle over 13 years ago, almost everything was $4.99 or less. Today, current bestsellers can be up to $14.99. This adds up fast!

Although Amazon has some free or reduced-price books, the best way to read for FREE is to use the public library. Now that e-readers are a big part of our lives, most libraries make e-books available just like paper books.

 1. Sign Up Online Most libraries let you sign up online and immediately give you your e-card number. Google search for “[county name] county library card.” My home county has this information on their page: “Residents of [county name] are eligible for an eCard. An eCard allows patrons immediate access to many of the Library's online services and databases including Ancestry, Rosetta Stone, LinkedIn Learning, The New York Times, and East Bay Times. It also allows patrons to place holds and borrow eBooks.”

 2. Get your library card number Some libraries will immediately give you your e-card number after you fill out the form. Others send it to you by email.

 3. Download the Libby app Available in the Apple App Store and Google Play

 4. Add your library card to Libby  On the app’s home page, select “Add library.” Then input your library name, and select it from the list that comes up. Since you already have a card number, select “Sign in with my card.”

 5. Start Searching Click on the Search button and type in your search. You can search by Title or Author.

 6. Select a Book Your search results will show matching titles. Each title shows a picture of the cover. Each title has a library card icon on the right.

 7. Borrow If the card icon has a + then you can borrow this title immediately. Click on “Borrow” and a new page pops up, saying “You are borrowing [title] for [loan period] days” Be sure to click the big “Borrow!” Button.

 8. Read A new page pops up, saying “You have borrowed [title] for [loan period] days.” Click on “Read with Kindle”. An Amazon page pops up. Select “Get Library Book” and another page pops up “Thanks! [title] will appear in your library on all your Kindle apps and devices. Loan expires [date].”

 

In my next blog post, I’ll tell you how to place a hold on a library book.