this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2025
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Check if it’s available on your library website first, for the sake of the author.
I download books from my library to my kindle. It goes through Amazon though, so I assume I am also impacted by this BS.
It shouldn’t. The DRM is on the Amazon book file format. The books I get from my library are usually epub format.
I mean authors don’t see money anytime someone rents an ebook do they? Libraries just need to pay for licenses to the publisher annually from what I’ve read on reddit/Lemmy.
I can understand renting ebooks so that your library continues to fund a digital library, but if the book is available in paper form that doesn’t really benefit the author either.
Authors receive 25% of the ebook sale to a library in the US. Frequent lends will also influence future purchases made by the library.
https://janefriedman.com/what-do-authors-earn-from-digital-lending-at-libraries/
Libraries in Canada and the UK pay royalties for each lend.
https://societyofauthors.org/where-we-stand/public-lending-right-plr/
It's not a great deal for the libraries. They ebooks can come with a limited number of checkouts and cost far more.
I switched to Kobo and have been very happy so far. I was able to download my books from Amazon and mumble and then I was able to read them on my Kobo device and store them in my Calibre library.
Good to know! Thanks! I’ll start using my e-lending app again, ever if that just means I instantly return the book.