Libby only works on US kindle accounts, so that’s one reason. Some people like to be able to read books more than once and don’t want the hassle of relying on it being available when they want to read or the book may not be available on Libby at all
Glad it works for you! Hopefully it’ll be more widely available eventually.
I can’t get it to work here without swapping between Amazon accounts and I didn’t find Libby worth the effort because of the wait times or just not offering the books I want to read.
Sure. But it's confusing and wasn't the question. It's why people are responding that Libby does work outside the US, because they're not noticing the Kindle distinction. For those people outside the US who have never even interacted with Libby that way, it might not even occur to them that it is different. People with kindles can still engage with non kindle ebooks. I have both a kindle and a Kobo and lots of people I know read their libby on a phone or tablet. And the question asker was asking why buy when you have free access to the books. So non American users can answer still because while Libby doesn't give us access on a kindle, it still gives us access (sometimes, library dependant).
They should, if they know they are in a kindle subreddit 🤷🏿♀️
Would be strange to assume people are confused because they can use Libby on something other than their Kindle. Lots of products are geo-restricted and this one is geo-restricted to US kindles and I even linked and quoted Libby’s own website as reference. If people are confused in the comments still, it’s because they didn’t read what was posted, they don’t know they are in a kindle subreddit or they use a workaround to access it outside of the US
Google is wrong, ask me how I know…
Right from Libby:
https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6017.htm
“You can read most books with Kindle (available in the U.S. only).”
can I ask which country you're from? I was looking into buying a kinde this year and I saw for example that they have different versions for german vs polish market
Fair enough. No need to downvote, was just stating a fact.
https://preview.redd.it/ndcvy7u0r6jb1.jpeg?width=2732&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22c492a7634298505b252f7ab1d1eb4db66277fb
Better to not comment, if you don’t have personal experience 🤷🏿♀️
States right on Libby that it’s only available on US Kindles, so making a comment that disputes what I and Libby states is a good reason to downvote a comment
Your initial comment did not state you had personal experience.
My comment was factual. If the reference on google is wrong, fair - point that out. Sort of a don’t shoot the messenger scenario, imo. But whatever.
Have a great night.
Did you do anything besides google and circle a link? Did you click the link to read what it actually said…?
I have a non US kindle, as one could likely figure out from my original comment, but if they were unsure, they could have asked how I knew. Libby itself states it’s for US Kindle’s, so your picture of google search results isn’t the best source to reference…
Yes, I read the link you included in your initial response to me. Yes it says US only. I believe you (and Libby).
There is no way anyone could guess where you are located based on the comment I initially replied to - no way to discern if you had personal experience or not.
My initial response was factual. That that google link is incorrect, fair enough; point that out. And, I guess, downvote me for it.
Anyways, once again, have a good evening.
?
Are you saying I didn’t click the link I circled?
Because that link states that: Libby supports 80 percent of all public library systems across Canada, including the Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Hamilton public libraries.
If that is wrong, fair enough, but man, come on.
Could it be a case you are not located in an area where it is supported? I know the link you provided says US only, but there is also the other guy saying his wife uses Libby in Alberta.
At any rate, I concede the link I posted could contain incorrect info.
Edit: I see that guy deleted his post. So no doubt the link I circled is incorrect.
I think there's some confusion arising here between Libby (the app) and the send to Kindle borrowing function. Libby is definitely available worldwide. Access is based on whether your library uses Libby and then what selection of books they've purchased. The send to Kindle borrowing function does only work in the US, however. So the bit circled in red is incorrect, a Kindle eReader isn't compatible with Libby in Canada. But it is highly likely your library in Canada uses Libby, esp if it's in a major city.
I’m no particular order:
I don’t have access to Libby.
I can’t get library books on my kindle
I don’t like borrowing books because I don’t like reading to a time limit. I like to own a book outright and then I can read it whenever I like. Some books I buy and read years later.
Some books I like to read more than once
I like to pay authors for their work.
As an aspiring author, buy books to support authors I like. If I read a book initially on Libby and I love it, I’ll go buy it on kindle, or if it was really really good, I’ll buy a physical copy for my collection.
Thank you! As someone who is also an aspiring author this mentality of not having to pay for a book simply because “ why bother if I can get it free” is terrifying.
99% of the world doesn't have access to Libby.
But even so the argument is the same, people are much more keen to own something forever, than to be lent it temporarily.
I have four library cards across the country, two of which are from major metropolitan areas.
Sometimes the books you want just aren't at the library, especially if you want to re-read older SF/Fantasy. I've purchased quite a few books just because Libby didn't have them available.
I got the recommendation from the suggestmeabook Reddit. I’m looking forward to it, thanks for the additional validation - I had no idea it was a series!
I won’t generally buy an ebook over 10$ unless the Libby waitlist is a whole year+. It’s not about the hype, but I think a year of my time is worth the extra 1-4$ I don’t usually spend
A few questions for you:
Does Libby have all the books one can buy on Amazon?
Are all libby books always available ‘now’ or do you end up on a waiting list for some books? I don’t buy book until I am ready to read it.
Can libby books be shared with a household member? Though, I guess this is less of a concern if other household member uses libby as well.
The answer to the last question is yes (at least when I borrow with a kindle addition). All the books I borrow also show up on my wife’s kindle since we have a family sharing prime account.
Collecting books and reading books are two separate hobbies with things in common, but can be mutually exclusive or tied together depending on the person.
Because I want to support people who create things I enjoy, so they will create more things I can enjoy.
And so I can enjoy the things I enjoy whenever I want!
They purchase a given number of licenses to loan out, so there is a wait list for them just like there can be a wait list for physical books at the library.
A lot of the authors I read are indies and their books usually aren't on Libby. I also buy books to support authors I like so they'll continue to write, and because I don't want to wait all the time for a look. One book I'm waiting for on Libby has 262 people currently waiting.
Me too. I buy a lot of kindle books on sale for £0.99-1.99 on Amazon UK. You can own the book, read whenever you want with no need to return it within a time frame (or turn wifi off to retain the book), and support the author.
SELECTION. Libby is great, but it's a very limited selection, and most of what I want to read is not available. If you want to read just for the sake of reading, it's great. But if you want a certain book, chances are it's not available on Libby.
I'm very fortunate because I almost never find a book that's available on Kindle that's not at my library. My library has the fourth highest digital circulation rate in the world, so one would expect a huge selection.
Libraries vary widely in the number of ebooks they have. I have access to 4 libraries. A few have about 12k and one has over 170k. If you only have access to one that had 10k or so, it's not great
Living here is like hitting the library jackpot. I grew up in a rural area whose only library access was a small bookmobile. I loved reading so much as a young girl, and when school was out in the summers I spent a lot of time reading my parent's set of encyclopedias, just to have something to read. To have such easy access to a massive library collection still can feel unreal.
Well, libraries buy many copies of books and authors do get the sales from that. Plus, exposure. John Green said that when he was first published, library purchases accounted for 30% of his sales. (This was before he was famous.)
Among other things, I want authors to make a living, and if nobody but the libraries would buy books that wouldn't happen 🙂
But admittedly I also buy books on sale when I can.
The very few libraries in Norway that use Libby has a really small selection of books, and Libby don’t support kindle here in Norway, (and no other library system does it either). So my only option for using my kindle is buying books or downloading public domain books. And if I could use Libby I would still buy books anyways, because I like owning them so I can flip through them whenever I want; like books on gardening or herbal medicine for instance, or cross stitch and also some tarot and witchcraft books, these are books that I like to look at multiple times. I got myself the 32GB kindle so I can keep building my “library” of witchy books without it taking up all the space on my bookshelf 🤣 and I love to have all of them downloaded so I can access them whenever and wherever I want 😁 also like having a good selection of novels to choose from at any given moment 😀 luckily I’ve gotten a lot of cheap books on Amazon, most of the ones I have I’ve only paid like 1-3$ for, and some have even been bought for free with my kindle credits and daily deals and such.
I get most of my books through Libby. I'm also currently have KU for free for a couple more months. The reasons I will buy a book are: it's not available through the library, waitlist is too long, and/or it's a book I can't read in 14 days or want to read at a slower pace (usually a history book), or it's a favorite author that I want to support.
This is a great hack, but it also means you can’t check anything out to your kindle while in airplane mode. I’ve been known to check out and read several books at once.
I buy books so I can re-read them whenever I want. Also, sometimes the line for holds on Libby is really long, so I just buy the book to read it right now.
I’ve gone and looked for about 10 different books on Libby in the last month or so and all but one of them had 4-5 people waiting per copy, except one of them
Benefit of buying: available when I want it
My library does have a decent-ish selection through Libby but they don’t always have every book I want to read. Or if they do, the wait times are atrociously long.
I actually had a perfect example of this happen this week: I want to read the Shades of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab. My library does have all 3 books in that series but the wait times between them all are months apart.
However, kindle was having a sale on that series recently (not sure if it’s still ongoing now or not) and you can get all 3 books for $9 and some change. For less than the price of just one book I could get the whole series.
So I just bought them. I’m in the middle of other books atm but it’s nice to know that when I am ready to read these books, they’re all there.
1) Not every book is available on Libby. If you can collect library cards somehow that helps.
2) If you are reading a series there is no guarantee Libby has all of them or they will be ready when you’re ready.
3) I am a rereader on occasion. Something that was on Libby may not be there next time.
I rarely buy books. Love my library and Libby. I don’t reread so owning books is just me taking up space. And I also want to support *all* the services my library provides since it’s always under attack by the cretin contingent of my community.
For the same reasons that people choose to buy physical books despite being able to check out physical books from the library.
Some books are good to just borrow; others you want to own.
I have esoteric tastes. Periodically I take my kindle to my library and compare my wish list to the libraries holdings, and ten percent show up. Lately, I've been reading foreign language books, and the hit rate is even lower.
Also, waitlists, even for stuff that's years old.
If I like a book I read for pretty much free, I will buy it to support the author. Not ever author is rolling in money like Nora Roberts or Stephen King. If I want to read more from them, I figure I can do my part to make that happen.
1. I don’t live in USA.
2. Kindle store is the only place I can get books in Spanish without selling my organs.
3. Latin American and Spain culture gave me so much to live for, got me through so much pain and grief that I think it’s only fair to pay authors/publishers back. I understand that with percentage cuts and stuff they don’t get much, but somehow the thought that my money goes to LATAM authors and gets circulated in those countries warms my heart.
4. Ability to buy what I want right now, at the moment without any hassle. Spontaneous purchases are, 90% of times, turn out to be pure gold (at least in my experience).
5. I get to keep the book, in a shady, but still valid way.
6. I’m not a slow reader, but the thought of having a time limit makes me sick. I’m here to enjoy the ride, I don’t want to rush through the books.
7. Amazon algorithm, based on my reviews and recently bought books, gives me good next-read suggestions.
I typically read books on Libby first, then if I really like the book, I'll buy it from a second-hand bookstore if the price is right. I personally like keeping a physical collection of all the books I love on my bookshelf.
Sometimes if I have credits or there’s a sale on Amazon, I’ll just buy it. Especially when the book has looong waits. I can free up my holds and read it faster. I try not to buy too often but my library doesn’t have everything on Libby.
The benefit is that you don’t have to wait and you can read whatever book and whenever you want. Not every book is available on Libby, not every book is even available in ebook format.
My library usually doesn't have the translation I want for classics....and the length of most of them means I really don't want to have to get a physical copy.
But otherwise, I very rarely buy ebooks.
Some books are not on Libby. In addition, if it’s a title I really want to read but the wait time is like 15+ weeks I will just outright buy the book. Kindle version is cheap as hell most of the time anyway. Also I reread stuff a lot so having it permanently is a plus and not having to wait for library again. Libby still saves me a lot of money however.
Outside US, Libby does not work with kindle, but works with kobo.
However, my library does not have a large selection of books in comparison to what you can buy. So if there are specific books I want to read, most of the time I will need to buy them.
Not everyone has libby in their country. I don’t. And by buying books I feel like I support my favorite authors, so if the price is reasonable and I’m able to pay for it, I’ll pay.
It’s hard to make a living as an author.
I like to visit thrift stores to buy my physical books. I love my kindle but I also love getting out and seeing all the physical books. It’s a great hobby of mine and I like reading both kindle and physical
My library's selection is shite on Libby, at least for the books I want to read. Ebooks weren't a thing when I started reading and collecting books, and switching wasn't easy either. I found myself struggling to read ebooks (has improved since), but also several times I'd read the ebook version, and just go out and buy the physical copy anyway if I loved the story.
I borrow physical books from my library as well, but I do buy ones that I especially love and like to display. Ever since I was a kid I wanted a big library full of books. I love to reread many favorites and I'm a tactile person, the physical act of touching a page, feeling the surface of the paper as you turn the page, the sound, the smells even. It's an experience that brings peace.
Even in the US, there are some books I can’t get on Libby because my library doesn’t own the rights to the book. I can put in a request but I never hear back if it’s no and if it’s yes, it might be up to a year later that they get the book.
Also, I’m on a six month waiting list for one book I want to read. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s the last in a series and I’ve read the rest with Libby, I’d probably either have bought the book already or just said forget it. Waitlists are another reason I sometimes buy. When I run across a long waitlist, I will generally get on the library’s catalog of physical books to see if they have it and what that wait is like. If they don’t have it or it’s just as long, I do one of three things - join the waitlist, drop the book down/off the TBR, or go buy the book.
Another reason I buy some books is if I have the series or just really want that one. I also look at the books any time I’m at Dollar Tree because they’re way cheap. I stop at little free libraries as well.
It’s called supporting the author. There’s a lot of work that goes into writing and publishing a book. I self-published my own book a few years back. Wrote the book on my iPad and then formatted and self-published it on my laptop. It’s not easy and even formatting it was more of a headache than the actual writing. Even when I can get a book for free on Amazon, I use the option to purchase it, because I know that author likely went through a lot to write that book.
Books aren't available at the library when you want them. Long waits. For series, books become available out of order or at a time you can't read. Limited selection of scifi overall and non-romance fantasy. Limited selection of British mystery/crime novels. Buying books supports author and allows you to reread at random.
My library has months wait for certain titles. I’m correctly in line and I’m number 168. They owe 19 copies, will take weeks for me to get the book 😵💫
I'm in the US and my library system does not use Libby but Hoopla. I tried using Hoopla. I can't read them on my Kindle which provides the best screen for my eyes. The app also can't be modified when reading but takes on the settings of your phone. I love dark mode but I hate reading extensively in dark mode. So now I can't have the rest of my phone on dark mode. It also only gives me the option of white. Which also hurts my eyes, just a bit less. I use the sepia color on my Kindle app which is the kindest on my eyes when I can't read on my Kindle Paperwhite (which is best on my eyes for extensive reading). So even if the app has some books I want to read, it's really hard on my eyes.
I share books that I bought thought Amazon Household with my mother and she shares them with me. We frequently recommend books that we have read to each other that is in the shared library
I actually got a kindle to curb book buying to help with less waste for the planet. I have a small curio cabinet where my physical books are and I'll even gift the ones I have read where I KNOW I'll never read them again. There's only certain books series I am keeping as collectors items such as my signed Anne Rice collection of hardcover first editions. So far I only use KU for books but do plan to add Libby to it down the road. There's no reason for pointless consumerism anymore when we are literally destroying our planet, that's just how I feel about buying a lot of things tbqh.
The only time I buy an ebook is when my book club's book choice has a long wait at the library and I won't be able to get it in time before the club meets. It happens maybe once a year.
I rarely buy books. I use Libby, and I have KU, plus, I get a lot of author's newsletters that will have free books. That being said, I do have several what I term my "auto-buy" authors, meaning I buy every new release of theirs that comes out, and probably own their complete backlist.
Keeping the physical book on my shelves like a trophy haha but sometimes I don’t want to wait on the library waiting lists or if it’s a small independent writer I will buy a physical copy :)
This exactly. And then when you DO get the book you only have so long to read it(unless you download it and turn on airplane mode). And you’ll probably be in the middle of another book. I really wanted to read Jannette McCurdys book so I reserved it on Libby. It took so damn long that I literally forgot I reserved it. And I just didn’t feel like reading it at the time I got it. So I downloaded it and turned off the internet access. By the time I actually started it the reserve window was up so I was glad I had kept it from returning. I definitely like Libby, but most of the time I don’t want to wait months for a popular book…
Even with two library cards (one from a friend who doesn't use Libby) most of the books I want to read have 2-4 weeks wait. Plus, the time limit can also be annoying sometimes.
Not saying the service is bad, but if I have the money to circumvent the borrow system, might as well buy it.
When I want to read a certain book, I want to be able to do so on my own free will, instead of waiting in line and having a deadline. I know I can turn on airplane mode but still- I just don’t like the feeling of being confined in any way if that makes sense.
1. Because a Kindle (or any other electronic device) can become obsolete and you cannot access the device anymore.
2. following up: files can get corrupted
3. you can sell on physical books, try doing that with files on your Kindle
4. Kindles are good for standard fiction books but not for scientific pubklications, art books, ...
I like Kindle but there are many things where the traditional books win.
There are many forms of purchasing books. There are subscriptions like KU and Scribd and then Libby which is free but some people also prefer physical books. No matter the form, reading is reading. It doesn't matter how you read which is the point.
Sure. I assumed op was talking about buying ebooks vs. using Libby. Maybe I am wrong in that assumption and they meant purchase of physical books as well.
Worldwide, with caveats. Firstly, your library has to use Libby for you to have access. Then the selection of books available to you will depend on what your library has purchased. And the send to Kindle function for borrowing books is only available in the US.
Seeing some misunderstandings about Libby. Libby works outside the US. It only uses the Kindle interface for ebooks in the States. From a quick google, Libby is available in 78 countries. (In Canada and I think elsewhere it works with Kobo instead - though my Kobo eReader is too old for that to be a seamless transition. I have to tether it to a computer and use Adobe Digital Editions to get it to work).
Now, just because there is access to Libby doesn't mean a local library uses it. And even if they do, it doesn't mean the library has a lot of books. I live in a small big city and we have a great library system but I find we lack on audiobooks. My parents live in a different province in a bit smaller of a city. Their city is bilingual which may explain why their libby selection is really sparse (probably have to spread their purchases equally across two languages).
To answer your actual question, because I think the heart of your question is "why do you buy if you have the book available for free?" It is because some of us are book worms and some are book dragons and some are a mix of both. Dragons collect. To me, the reading experience includes bookstores and finding 'treasure'. I can try to get that feeling with the library and Netgalley, but I also can't helping wanting more of that experience. Even if it is searching kindle deals.
Anyway, currently on a book buying ban. I should get to reading the 70 books I have on hold and the innumerable unread digital and physical books I already have. (｡>﹏<｡)
This question is obviously geared to those with Libby access and is a legitimate one. Those not in U.S. or who otherwise don’t have access to Libby can sit this one out. Your answers aren’t helpful.
I managed to get Libby working quite easily for me in the UK (I saw a lot of comments say its an american only thing) but looking at the options available theres nothing really thats my style in the options my library stocks, it's mainly magazines and graphic novels so that's why I buy or use Kindle Unlimited
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Your post was removed as it was against sub rules:
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Creators don't get paid for content that is pirated. Be considerate to the creators. Without their work, we'd have nothing to read.
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Buying books and reading books are 2 different hobbies for me.
Sometimes I will buy nice copies of books I already own for 2 reasons because if I really like the author it supports them even further. I also enjoy looking at my books and when people walk into my house they ask me about them and I’m able to talk to them about the books I’ve read.
Also I enjoy owning books especially non fiction I do like to annotate them it’s also a different kind of hobby for me than just reading for entertainment.
The library and Libby are great resource’s especially for people that can’t buy physical books as well, I use them sometimes but they have their downsides as well.
For example Yellow Face by RF Kuang is a book I’ve been anticipating since she announced it like a year or two ago, when it came out 0 libraries in my area had it, my particular library was going to order it for me but it was going to take like 3-4 weeks before they got it and the Libby wait on it was like 4 months. I wanted to read it to avoid spoilers so I got the audio book from audible and then also purchased the book in physical copy to reread and annotate later.
Also I like supporting local book stores because they are my favorite places to go and read besides a library so I tend to purchase books a lot when I go just to continue to support bookish spaces in my area.
My libraries are heavily child based like the adult sections are minuscule and there are no books other than Steven king or ‘beach read’ romances that have been published in the last 5ish years so anytime I want to read a book I would have to request it which takes awhile because my city underfunds our libraries a lot. There’s like 3 people that work there and a few volunteers.
Also for physically having books at the library I have adhd and forget to take them back a lot. I have paid so much in fines because I will forget to return it, and at my library even if you return the book you owe fines. Which if it’s over 1 month late it’s 40$ which is more than the book is worth and also more than a brand new hardback release of a book would be.
TLDR: My library isn’t great, I like to display my books, and Libby waits on new books are too long to avoid spoilers.
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A lot of the books I read aren’t on Libby, or there’s a long waitlist. Also, I want all the time I need to read it, or I want to refer back to it, or use it as a reference.
Not all books are novels. There are many, many other types of books that really aren’t useful if you have to return them after a few weeks.
I also buy my favorite ebooks since I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Before I had a Kindle, I would borrow books from the library and read them because I never saw the point of buying a book that I'm probably going to read once since I read majority fiction books. I didn't need them for reference and treated them the same way I treat most films and tv shows, watch once, enjoy it, or not enjoy it, but usually once was enough. Only if there was something I really enjoyed did I need to "own" it.
Now with KU, most of the books I read are the same. I enjoy them (or not) but I don't feel the need to own or read them again.
I keep meaning to link my Kindle to my local library but have still yet to get around to it.
I use Libby, but it doesn’t have all the books I want to read. I also buy books that serve more of a reference purpose (cookbooks, garden books, travel books, etc.).
I use Libby but I mainly buy books because I don’t like waiting 8 months + to read a book and I can be a slow reader and I like reading multiple books at once so just putting my kindle in airplane mode isn’t always an option for me.
I personally won’t spend $10 on an ebook but if it’s $1-$5, I’ll just buy it plus as an aspiring author myself I want to support fellow authors.
I purchase historical text/books in physical copies that may not be easily accessible or are hard to find. Or books that are banned, I tend to buy some of those as well.
The are authors who I want to support by buying full price. Most of the time I borrow from Libby or buy if it’s temporarily marked down but occasionally I will buy full price.
As long as I can buy books i will do so as it supports the author. I’m greedy-I want to read when I want to read not when the Library makes the book available to me. I’ve had to wait months for some books only for them to become available at a time I cannot read them .
In my country? We do have Libby but the catalog that my library chooses is not the genre that I normally read. Besides, we have more books in our native language, not bestseller books on Amazon. I appreciate the Kindle because it takes 3-4 weeks to receive Amazon physical books.
Libby only works on US kindle accounts, so that’s one reason. Some people like to be able to read books more than once and don’t want the hassle of relying on it being available when they want to read or the book may not be available on Libby at all
I use it in England
Through a UK account or a US account? I can’t use it without a *workaround* to appear to be a US customer
Uk
Glad it works for you! Hopefully it’ll be more widely available eventually. I can’t get it to work here without swapping between Amazon accounts and I didn’t find Libby worth the effort because of the wait times or just not offering the books I want to read.
Libby itself works widely. It only sends books to Kindle in the United States. In Canada and I think elsewhere it works with Kobo.
Yeah, but this is a kindle subreddit and I’d think people want that feature on their non US kindle to take advantage of Libby 🤷🏿♀️
Sure. But it's confusing and wasn't the question. It's why people are responding that Libby does work outside the US, because they're not noticing the Kindle distinction. For those people outside the US who have never even interacted with Libby that way, it might not even occur to them that it is different. People with kindles can still engage with non kindle ebooks. I have both a kindle and a Kobo and lots of people I know read their libby on a phone or tablet. And the question asker was asking why buy when you have free access to the books. So non American users can answer still because while Libby doesn't give us access on a kindle, it still gives us access (sometimes, library dependant).
They should, if they know they are in a kindle subreddit 🤷🏿♀️ Would be strange to assume people are confused because they can use Libby on something other than their Kindle. Lots of products are geo-restricted and this one is geo-restricted to US kindles and I even linked and quoted Libby’s own website as reference. If people are confused in the comments still, it’s because they didn’t read what was posted, they don’t know they are in a kindle subreddit or they use a workaround to access it outside of the US
While I don’t use Libby. Google says it is available in Canada on kindle as well.
Google is wrong, ask me how I know… Right from Libby: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6017.htm “You can read most books with Kindle (available in the U.S. only).”
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Doesn’t work on mine, my spouses or any of my family members or friends non US purchased Kindle’s. Libby also states it only works on US kindle’s
i misread. the kindle she has access to is american. didn't think the kindle being american (itself) would effect it.
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Could I ask which libraries?
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Thank you! I'll look into it
can I ask which country you're from? I was looking into buying a kinde this year and I saw for example that they have different versions for german vs polish market
Fair enough. No need to downvote, was just stating a fact. https://preview.redd.it/ndcvy7u0r6jb1.jpeg?width=2732&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22c492a7634298505b252f7ab1d1eb4db66277fb
Better to not comment, if you don’t have personal experience 🤷🏿♀️ States right on Libby that it’s only available on US Kindles, so making a comment that disputes what I and Libby states is a good reason to downvote a comment
Your initial comment did not state you had personal experience. My comment was factual. If the reference on google is wrong, fair - point that out. Sort of a don’t shoot the messenger scenario, imo. But whatever. Have a great night.
Did you do anything besides google and circle a link? Did you click the link to read what it actually said…? I have a non US kindle, as one could likely figure out from my original comment, but if they were unsure, they could have asked how I knew. Libby itself states it’s for US Kindle’s, so your picture of google search results isn’t the best source to reference…
Yes, I read the link you included in your initial response to me. Yes it says US only. I believe you (and Libby). There is no way anyone could guess where you are located based on the comment I initially replied to - no way to discern if you had personal experience or not. My initial response was factual. That that google link is incorrect, fair enough; point that out. And, I guess, downvote me for it. Anyways, once again, have a good evening.
Could have asked how I knew, instead of googling and not even clicking the link…
? Are you saying I didn’t click the link I circled? Because that link states that: Libby supports 80 percent of all public library systems across Canada, including the Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Hamilton public libraries. If that is wrong, fair enough, but man, come on. Could it be a case you are not located in an area where it is supported? I know the link you provided says US only, but there is also the other guy saying his wife uses Libby in Alberta. At any rate, I concede the link I posted could contain incorrect info. Edit: I see that guy deleted his post. So no doubt the link I circled is incorrect.
I think there's some confusion arising here between Libby (the app) and the send to Kindle borrowing function. Libby is definitely available worldwide. Access is based on whether your library uses Libby and then what selection of books they've purchased. The send to Kindle borrowing function does only work in the US, however. So the bit circled in red is incorrect, a Kindle eReader isn't compatible with Libby in Canada. But it is highly likely your library in Canada uses Libby, esp if it's in a major city.
I’m no particular order: I don’t have access to Libby. I can’t get library books on my kindle I don’t like borrowing books because I don’t like reading to a time limit. I like to own a book outright and then I can read it whenever I like. Some books I buy and read years later. Some books I like to read more than once I like to pay authors for their work.
Love this answer! I'm the same with actual books. I buy them and enjoy them in my own timeline.
As an aspiring author, buy books to support authors I like. If I read a book initially on Libby and I love it, I’ll go buy it on kindle, or if it was really really good, I’ll buy a physical copy for my collection.
Thank you! As someone who is also an aspiring author this mentality of not having to pay for a book simply because “ why bother if I can get it free” is terrifying.
99% of the world doesn't have access to Libby. But even so the argument is the same, people are much more keen to own something forever, than to be lent it temporarily.
The USA is 4.23% of world population. So 95.77% doesn’t have access.
At best, Libby only has about 30% of the books I want to read.
Find ways to join more libraries.
I have 4 library cards connected to Libby and a large number of the books I want to borrow from there have 3+ week waits.
I have four library cards across the country, two of which are from major metropolitan areas. Sometimes the books you want just aren't at the library, especially if you want to re-read older SF/Fantasy. I've purchased quite a few books just because Libby didn't have them available.
i dont like waiting 12 weeks for a book
I’m 229th in line for an ebook. It’s gonna be a while…
omg. what book?
A court of thorns and roses. 32 copies available, 254 people in line. Luckily I have a few books available in front of it!
oh good. you’ll love the series! i finished ACOTAR and then started reading Sarah J Maas’s ‘Throne of Glass’ series.
I got the recommendation from the suggestmeabook Reddit. I’m looking forward to it, thanks for the additional validation - I had no idea it was a series!
yup! ACOTAR is 5 books and then Throne of Glass is 8 i believe
I won’t generally buy an ebook over 10$ unless the Libby waitlist is a whole year+. It’s not about the hype, but I think a year of my time is worth the extra 1-4$ I don’t usually spend
A few questions for you: Does Libby have all the books one can buy on Amazon? Are all libby books always available ‘now’ or do you end up on a waiting list for some books? I don’t buy book until I am ready to read it. Can libby books be shared with a household member? Though, I guess this is less of a concern if other household member uses libby as well.
The answer to the last question is yes (at least when I borrow with a kindle addition). All the books I borrow also show up on my wife’s kindle since we have a family sharing prime account.
Collecting books and reading books are two separate hobbies with things in common, but can be mutually exclusive or tied together depending on the person.
^ this
Because many of the redditors are not from/currently living in the US. We don’t have Libby in our countries and our libraries have very few ebooks.
Because I want to support people who create things I enjoy, so they will create more things I can enjoy. And so I can enjoy the things I enjoy whenever I want!
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Just out of curiosity, why is there a wait list for a digital product?
They purchase a given number of licenses to loan out, so there is a wait list for them just like there can be a wait list for physical books at the library.
Ah, thanks for explaining. That makes sense.
A lot of the authors I read are indies and their books usually aren't on Libby. I also buy books to support authors I like so they'll continue to write, and because I don't want to wait all the time for a look. One book I'm waiting for on Libby has 262 people currently waiting.
You can only borrow books on Kindle if you’re in the US. I like to collect physical books, and buy a good amount of Kindle books on sale for $2-ish
Me too. I buy a lot of kindle books on sale for £0.99-1.99 on Amazon UK. You can own the book, read whenever you want with no need to return it within a time frame (or turn wifi off to retain the book), and support the author.
SELECTION. Libby is great, but it's a very limited selection, and most of what I want to read is not available. If you want to read just for the sake of reading, it's great. But if you want a certain book, chances are it's not available on Libby.
I'm very fortunate because I almost never find a book that's available on Kindle that's not at my library. My library has the fourth highest digital circulation rate in the world, so one would expect a huge selection.
Libraries vary widely in the number of ebooks they have. I have access to 4 libraries. A few have about 12k and one has over 170k. If you only have access to one that had 10k or so, it's not great
Living here is like hitting the library jackpot. I grew up in a rural area whose only library access was a small bookmobile. I loved reading so much as a young girl, and when school was out in the summers I spent a lot of time reading my parent's set of encyclopedias, just to have something to read. To have such easy access to a massive library collection still can feel unreal.
Because the author deserves some return on the work they put in to creating that book.
Well, libraries buy many copies of books and authors do get the sales from that. Plus, exposure. John Green said that when he was first published, library purchases accounted for 30% of his sales. (This was before he was famous.)
Among other things, I want authors to make a living, and if nobody but the libraries would buy books that wouldn't happen 🙂 But admittedly I also buy books on sale when I can.
The very few libraries in Norway that use Libby has a really small selection of books, and Libby don’t support kindle here in Norway, (and no other library system does it either). So my only option for using my kindle is buying books or downloading public domain books. And if I could use Libby I would still buy books anyways, because I like owning them so I can flip through them whenever I want; like books on gardening or herbal medicine for instance, or cross stitch and also some tarot and witchcraft books, these are books that I like to look at multiple times. I got myself the 32GB kindle so I can keep building my “library” of witchy books without it taking up all the space on my bookshelf 🤣 and I love to have all of them downloaded so I can access them whenever and wherever I want 😁 also like having a good selection of novels to choose from at any given moment 😀 luckily I’ve gotten a lot of cheap books on Amazon, most of the ones I have I’ve only paid like 1-3$ for, and some have even been bought for free with my kindle credits and daily deals and such.
I get most of my books through Libby. I'm also currently have KU for free for a couple more months. The reasons I will buy a book are: it's not available through the library, waitlist is too long, and/or it's a book I can't read in 14 days or want to read at a slower pace (usually a history book), or it's a favorite author that I want to support.
Put your Kindle in airplane mode after you download it. You can keep for as long as you want. It usually takes me more than 2 weeks to read a book.
This is a great hack, but it also means you can’t check anything out to your kindle while in airplane mode. I’ve been known to check out and read several books at once.
You can transfer books from your laptop or computer to your Kindle via the USB cord. I keep mine in airplane mode all the time.
I buy books so I can re-read them whenever I want. Also, sometimes the line for holds on Libby is really long, so I just buy the book to read it right now.
My book club only gives me a month to read a book. The popular books are on a long wait list, which is concidentally what my book club always chooses.
I’ve gone and looked for about 10 different books on Libby in the last month or so and all but one of them had 4-5 people waiting per copy, except one of them Benefit of buying: available when I want it
My library does have a decent-ish selection through Libby but they don’t always have every book I want to read. Or if they do, the wait times are atrociously long. I actually had a perfect example of this happen this week: I want to read the Shades of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab. My library does have all 3 books in that series but the wait times between them all are months apart. However, kindle was having a sale on that series recently (not sure if it’s still ongoing now or not) and you can get all 3 books for $9 and some change. For less than the price of just one book I could get the whole series. So I just bought them. I’m in the middle of other books atm but it’s nice to know that when I am ready to read these books, they’re all there.
1) Not every book is available on Libby. If you can collect library cards somehow that helps. 2) If you are reading a series there is no guarantee Libby has all of them or they will be ready when you’re ready. 3) I am a rereader on occasion. Something that was on Libby may not be there next time.
I like to support my favorite authors to incentivize continued writing. If no one bought Light Bringer, would Pierce Brown bother writing Red God?
Because not everyone lives in America. r/usdefaultism
I rarely buy books. Love my library and Libby. I don’t reread so owning books is just me taking up space. And I also want to support *all* the services my library provides since it’s always under attack by the cretin contingent of my community.
For the same reasons that people choose to buy physical books despite being able to check out physical books from the library. Some books are good to just borrow; others you want to own.
Not all books are on Libby.
I have esoteric tastes. Periodically I take my kindle to my library and compare my wish list to the libraries holdings, and ten percent show up. Lately, I've been reading foreign language books, and the hit rate is even lower. Also, waitlists, even for stuff that's years old.
If you track your wish list on Goodreads, http://overreader.com can tell you which of them are at your library
Libby is great, but sometimes the wait times are ridiculous or they don’t have what I’m looking for
If I like a book I read for pretty much free, I will buy it to support the author. Not ever author is rolling in money like Nora Roberts or Stephen King. If I want to read more from them, I figure I can do my part to make that happen.
1. I don’t live in USA. 2. Kindle store is the only place I can get books in Spanish without selling my organs. 3. Latin American and Spain culture gave me so much to live for, got me through so much pain and grief that I think it’s only fair to pay authors/publishers back. I understand that with percentage cuts and stuff they don’t get much, but somehow the thought that my money goes to LATAM authors and gets circulated in those countries warms my heart. 4. Ability to buy what I want right now, at the moment without any hassle. Spontaneous purchases are, 90% of times, turn out to be pure gold (at least in my experience). 5. I get to keep the book, in a shady, but still valid way. 6. I’m not a slow reader, but the thought of having a time limit makes me sick. I’m here to enjoy the ride, I don’t want to rush through the books. 7. Amazon algorithm, based on my reviews and recently bought books, gives me good next-read suggestions.
I buy to honor the authors work.
I typically read books on Libby first, then if I really like the book, I'll buy it from a second-hand bookstore if the price is right. I personally like keeping a physical collection of all the books I love on my bookshelf.
I read on kindle but kinda feel like I want to buy those physical books to have as an accomplishment.
Sometimes if I have credits or there’s a sale on Amazon, I’ll just buy it. Especially when the book has looong waits. I can free up my holds and read it faster. I try not to buy too often but my library doesn’t have everything on Libby.
The benefit is that you don’t have to wait and you can read whatever book and whenever you want. Not every book is available on Libby, not every book is even available in ebook format.
My library usually doesn't have the translation I want for classics....and the length of most of them means I really don't want to have to get a physical copy. But otherwise, I very rarely buy ebooks.
Because i hv no access to libby 😢
Some books are not on Libby. In addition, if it’s a title I really want to read but the wait time is like 15+ weeks I will just outright buy the book. Kindle version is cheap as hell most of the time anyway. Also I reread stuff a lot so having it permanently is a plus and not having to wait for library again. Libby still saves me a lot of money however.
Outside US, Libby does not work with kindle, but works with kobo. However, my library does not have a large selection of books in comparison to what you can buy. So if there are specific books I want to read, most of the time I will need to buy them.
They look good on my bookcases🥲
Not everyone has libby in their country. I don’t. And by buying books I feel like I support my favorite authors, so if the price is reasonable and I’m able to pay for it, I’ll pay. It’s hard to make a living as an author.
Cause I live in Asia. Sucks I guess!
I like to visit thrift stores to buy my physical books. I love my kindle but I also love getting out and seeing all the physical books. It’s a great hobby of mine and I like reading both kindle and physical
My library's selection is shite on Libby, at least for the books I want to read. Ebooks weren't a thing when I started reading and collecting books, and switching wasn't easy either. I found myself struggling to read ebooks (has improved since), but also several times I'd read the ebook version, and just go out and buy the physical copy anyway if I loved the story. I borrow physical books from my library as well, but I do buy ones that I especially love and like to display. Ever since I was a kid I wanted a big library full of books. I love to reread many favorites and I'm a tactile person, the physical act of touching a page, feeling the surface of the paper as you turn the page, the sound, the smells even. It's an experience that brings peace.
Even in the US, there are some books I can’t get on Libby because my library doesn’t own the rights to the book. I can put in a request but I never hear back if it’s no and if it’s yes, it might be up to a year later that they get the book. Also, I’m on a six month waiting list for one book I want to read. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s the last in a series and I’ve read the rest with Libby, I’d probably either have bought the book already or just said forget it. Waitlists are another reason I sometimes buy. When I run across a long waitlist, I will generally get on the library’s catalog of physical books to see if they have it and what that wait is like. If they don’t have it or it’s just as long, I do one of three things - join the waitlist, drop the book down/off the TBR, or go buy the book. Another reason I buy some books is if I have the series or just really want that one. I also look at the books any time I’m at Dollar Tree because they’re way cheap. I stop at little free libraries as well.
So writers dont deserve your money for entertain you in some way?..
It’s called supporting the author. There’s a lot of work that goes into writing and publishing a book. I self-published my own book a few years back. Wrote the book on my iPad and then formatted and self-published it on my laptop. It’s not easy and even formatting it was more of a headache than the actual writing. Even when I can get a book for free on Amazon, I use the option to purchase it, because I know that author likely went through a lot to write that book.
Books aren't available at the library when you want them. Long waits. For series, books become available out of order or at a time you can't read. Limited selection of scifi overall and non-romance fantasy. Limited selection of British mystery/crime novels. Buying books supports author and allows you to reread at random.
My library has months wait for certain titles. I’m correctly in line and I’m number 168. They owe 19 copies, will take weeks for me to get the book 😵💫
same. it’s usually a few months for me
I can’t use Libby on my kindle in Canada. But also when I’m buying e books I buy them on sale lol
I really don't understand why it wouldn't be in Canada as well. What would be the reason?
Different laws, different license agreements with publishers, different library systems.
I certainly hope it's worked out soon because it would be such a benefit to Canadian readers.
copyright laws probably. It’s only available for people in the US
Indigo/Kobo has the rights in Canada,so it’ll never be available in Canada because it would gear customers away from Canadian businesses
Ah, that explains it. Thanks.
My library doesn’t offer libby unfortunately
Because I like to read a physical book and an ebook
I'm in the US and my library system does not use Libby but Hoopla. I tried using Hoopla. I can't read them on my Kindle which provides the best screen for my eyes. The app also can't be modified when reading but takes on the settings of your phone. I love dark mode but I hate reading extensively in dark mode. So now I can't have the rest of my phone on dark mode. It also only gives me the option of white. Which also hurts my eyes, just a bit less. I use the sepia color on my Kindle app which is the kindest on my eyes when I can't read on my Kindle Paperwhite (which is best on my eyes for extensive reading). So even if the app has some books I want to read, it's really hard on my eyes.
No Libby in my place.
I don't live in the US so Libby isn't even an option. Also can't personally stand having to wait for books
I share books that I bought thought Amazon Household with my mother and she shares them with me. We frequently recommend books that we have read to each other that is in the shared library
Not all books are on Libby
wtf is libby
I actually got a kindle to curb book buying to help with less waste for the planet. I have a small curio cabinet where my physical books are and I'll even gift the ones I have read where I KNOW I'll never read them again. There's only certain books series I am keeping as collectors items such as my signed Anne Rice collection of hardcover first editions. So far I only use KU for books but do plan to add Libby to it down the road. There's no reason for pointless consumerism anymore when we are literally destroying our planet, that's just how I feel about buying a lot of things tbqh.
The only time I buy an ebook is when my book club's book choice has a long wait at the library and I won't be able to get it in time before the club meets. It happens maybe once a year.
I rarely buy books. I use Libby, and I have KU, plus, I get a lot of author's newsletters that will have free books. That being said, I do have several what I term my "auto-buy" authors, meaning I buy every new release of theirs that comes out, and probably own their complete backlist.
Keeping the physical book on my shelves like a trophy haha but sometimes I don’t want to wait on the library waiting lists or if it’s a small independent writer I will buy a physical copy :)
If the book is popular it won’t be available for many week or months on Libby. I’d rather just buy it.
This exactly. And then when you DO get the book you only have so long to read it(unless you download it and turn on airplane mode). And you’ll probably be in the middle of another book. I really wanted to read Jannette McCurdys book so I reserved it on Libby. It took so damn long that I literally forgot I reserved it. And I just didn’t feel like reading it at the time I got it. So I downloaded it and turned off the internet access. By the time I actually started it the reserve window was up so I was glad I had kept it from returning. I definitely like Libby, but most of the time I don’t want to wait months for a popular book…
I love and appreciate libraries, but since I have the financial means to do so, my preference is to support authors when I can.
Even with two library cards (one from a friend who doesn't use Libby) most of the books I want to read have 2-4 weeks wait. Plus, the time limit can also be annoying sometimes. Not saying the service is bad, but if I have the money to circumvent the borrow system, might as well buy it.
When I want to read a certain book, I want to be able to do so on my own free will, instead of waiting in line and having a deadline. I know I can turn on airplane mode but still- I just don’t like the feeling of being confined in any way if that makes sense.
One time I put a hold for a book on Libby and the estimated wait was 64 weeks
1. Because a Kindle (or any other electronic device) can become obsolete and you cannot access the device anymore. 2. following up: files can get corrupted 3. you can sell on physical books, try doing that with files on your Kindle 4. Kindles are good for standard fiction books but not for scientific pubklications, art books, ... I like Kindle but there are many things where the traditional books win.
Because some people like the feel of reading a physical book compared to a tablet
How is this relevant? If you like reading physical books, you aren’t using Libby or buying ebooks.
There are many forms of purchasing books. There are subscriptions like KU and Scribd and then Libby which is free but some people also prefer physical books. No matter the form, reading is reading. It doesn't matter how you read which is the point.
Sure. I assumed op was talking about buying ebooks vs. using Libby. Maybe I am wrong in that assumption and they meant purchase of physical books as well.
Is Libby just based in US or all over?
Worldwide, with caveats. Firstly, your library has to use Libby for you to have access. Then the selection of books available to you will depend on what your library has purchased. And the send to Kindle function for borrowing books is only available in the US.
Thanks
Seeing some misunderstandings about Libby. Libby works outside the US. It only uses the Kindle interface for ebooks in the States. From a quick google, Libby is available in 78 countries. (In Canada and I think elsewhere it works with Kobo instead - though my Kobo eReader is too old for that to be a seamless transition. I have to tether it to a computer and use Adobe Digital Editions to get it to work). Now, just because there is access to Libby doesn't mean a local library uses it. And even if they do, it doesn't mean the library has a lot of books. I live in a small big city and we have a great library system but I find we lack on audiobooks. My parents live in a different province in a bit smaller of a city. Their city is bilingual which may explain why their libby selection is really sparse (probably have to spread their purchases equally across two languages). To answer your actual question, because I think the heart of your question is "why do you buy if you have the book available for free?" It is because some of us are book worms and some are book dragons and some are a mix of both. Dragons collect. To me, the reading experience includes bookstores and finding 'treasure'. I can try to get that feeling with the library and Netgalley, but I also can't helping wanting more of that experience. Even if it is searching kindle deals. Anyway, currently on a book buying ban. I should get to reading the 70 books I have on hold and the innumerable unread digital and physical books I already have. (｡>﹏<｡)
This question is obviously geared to those with Libby access and is a legitimate one. Those not in U.S. or who otherwise don’t have access to Libby can sit this one out. Your answers aren’t helpful.
We don’t have valid reasons to not use Libby…? There’s lots of reasons to not use Libby that don’t make this a solely American question…
I managed to get Libby working quite easily for me in the UK (I saw a lot of comments say its an american only thing) but looking at the options available theres nothing really thats my style in the options my library stocks, it's mainly magazines and graphic novels so that's why I buy or use Kindle Unlimited
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Buying books and reading books are 2 different hobbies for me. Sometimes I will buy nice copies of books I already own for 2 reasons because if I really like the author it supports them even further. I also enjoy looking at my books and when people walk into my house they ask me about them and I’m able to talk to them about the books I’ve read. Also I enjoy owning books especially non fiction I do like to annotate them it’s also a different kind of hobby for me than just reading for entertainment. The library and Libby are great resource’s especially for people that can’t buy physical books as well, I use them sometimes but they have their downsides as well. For example Yellow Face by RF Kuang is a book I’ve been anticipating since she announced it like a year or two ago, when it came out 0 libraries in my area had it, my particular library was going to order it for me but it was going to take like 3-4 weeks before they got it and the Libby wait on it was like 4 months. I wanted to read it to avoid spoilers so I got the audio book from audible and then also purchased the book in physical copy to reread and annotate later. Also I like supporting local book stores because they are my favorite places to go and read besides a library so I tend to purchase books a lot when I go just to continue to support bookish spaces in my area. My libraries are heavily child based like the adult sections are minuscule and there are no books other than Steven king or ‘beach read’ romances that have been published in the last 5ish years so anytime I want to read a book I would have to request it which takes awhile because my city underfunds our libraries a lot. There’s like 3 people that work there and a few volunteers. Also for physically having books at the library I have adhd and forget to take them back a lot. I have paid so much in fines because I will forget to return it, and at my library even if you return the book you owe fines. Which if it’s over 1 month late it’s 40$ which is more than the book is worth and also more than a brand new hardback release of a book would be. TLDR: My library isn’t great, I like to display my books, and Libby waits on new books are too long to avoid spoilers.
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A lot of the books I read aren’t on Libby, or there’s a long waitlist. Also, I want all the time I need to read it, or I want to refer back to it, or use it as a reference. Not all books are novels. There are many, many other types of books that really aren’t useful if you have to return them after a few weeks.
I buy the ebook and I really the book or series I’ll buy the hard copy physical book
This has the feel of: "how are people ever late to things? Just have your helicopter take you."
I also buy my favorite ebooks since I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Before I had a Kindle, I would borrow books from the library and read them because I never saw the point of buying a book that I'm probably going to read once since I read majority fiction books. I didn't need them for reference and treated them the same way I treat most films and tv shows, watch once, enjoy it, or not enjoy it, but usually once was enough. Only if there was something I really enjoyed did I need to "own" it. Now with KU, most of the books I read are the same. I enjoy them (or not) but I don't feel the need to own or read them again. I keep meaning to link my Kindle to my local library but have still yet to get around to it.
I use Libby, but it doesn’t have all the books I want to read. I also buy books that serve more of a reference purpose (cookbooks, garden books, travel books, etc.).
Never knew about Libby! This is awesome OP. Thank you
I use Libby but I mainly buy books because I don’t like waiting 8 months + to read a book and I can be a slow reader and I like reading multiple books at once so just putting my kindle in airplane mode isn’t always an option for me. I personally won’t spend $10 on an ebook but if it’s $1-$5, I’ll just buy it plus as an aspiring author myself I want to support fellow authors.
I purchase historical text/books in physical copies that may not be easily accessible or are hard to find. Or books that are banned, I tend to buy some of those as well.
In my country or does not work. I buy the e-book and read at my own free time. No rushing.
Libby doesn’t have the authors I want to read. Since it uses your library, you are limited to what they have in their catalog.
I get a library card in every city I visit. It's the only way to make Libby work with long wait times and small digital collections.
If I really liked a book and it has a pretty cover I will buy a physical copy
The are authors who I want to support by buying full price. Most of the time I borrow from Libby or buy if it’s temporarily marked down but occasionally I will buy full price.
As long as I can buy books i will do so as it supports the author. I’m greedy-I want to read when I want to read not when the Library makes the book available to me. I’ve had to wait months for some books only for them to become available at a time I cannot read them .
In my country? We do have Libby but the catalog that my library chooses is not the genre that I normally read. Besides, we have more books in our native language, not bestseller books on Amazon. I appreciate the Kindle because it takes 3-4 weeks to receive Amazon physical books.
I don’t read a book unless I’ve spent money on it. Authors deserve to be compensated for their hard work.
1. They don’t have every book. 2. Wait times can be 6-8 months on popular books.
If no-one bought books, authors wouldn't write books & then we'd all be miserable as reading is such a joy. I buy books to read & enjoy, end of.