Kindle Works with Library Books! Now Geo Blocks

[Taiwan_Student]

Please jump to one my last post dated today.
OK Mod. I know this should be in the Amazon Kindle thread, but if it goes there, people who would not have the Kindle, or only barely thought about it would not see it. Move it if you'd like but, this new has changed my mind about buying one.

When I spend money on a book, I want it forever. I want to give it to my kids. But, from what I read, you are merely renting the book and if you should pass on, or loose interest in the product, the book dies with your account. I have a big problem with that.

My county library, has a huge selection of books compatible with Amazon Kindle. And when I mean my library, I mean almost all public libraries in the US public library system. I gave it a try and was very pleased. You just go to your public library's E-book website. For Jersey, all the library belong to an audio book/e-book service. You log in with your library card. You check out the book for a 7-10 day loan and are given a link. That link sends you to Amazon where your book is ready and waiting for you.

Near the end of your lending period, Amazon send you a warning. It tells you you should renew your book from your public library or you can buy it right there.
All you guys with US addresses, renew or apply for your library card. It's great. It really works well from Taiwan. I used the PC app but
now, I think I will buy a Kindle. Before this I would not have.....

EDIT: OK... I forgot. The Kindle seems to know where you are... I only know that it works with the PC app. After someone gives it a try with their actual Kindle, please tell us how it works and what methods you used for getting it into you machine. My Amazon Account uses my Taiwan address and my library account uses my US address. I have been blocked from buying MP3's on Amazon but, this address problem, seemed to have no effect when downloading my Kindle Book for the PC app. Have fun!.

[housecat]

Hey, this is pretty fab news that I didn't know about, so thanks for posting! And, btw, anything that you can use the PC app for, you can transfer to your kindle, so if you get library books on your PC, you could transfer them, or send a copy, to your kindle.

The only Kindle available for purchase in Taiwan, the keyboard 3G one, has "experimental" apps that let you listen to music. I believe you can transfer music from your computer onto the device. You just have to find a way to get it onto your computer. Lots of public libraries also have large music libraries of disks and mp3's. You could try using your library card for this, too. (I haven't tried the music deal with my Kindle).

[engerim]

Amazon also has lending to Prime members with the "Kindle Owners Library" but you can only rent ONE book at a time for a ONE MONTH period.
If you "give it back" earlier you can not rent a new book within that month. Does the same apply to the library you mention?
Also the books currently for lending (by the Kindle Owners Library of Amazon), are limited to around 5000 with 99% crap (including the bestsellers).
Mostly public domain books, self-help books and workout instructions (like from videos).

Now how can I get a US library card? :-) I got friends in the US but don't know if there's a online-only application process?
Do you guys pay for public libraries in the US?

I wonder if the 'library lending' that you mention has more books available than the ones of the 'Kindle Owners Library''?

[tango42]

Interesting, I can use with the Kindle application on my iPad.

[Taiwan_Student]

Public Libraries are funded by local tax dollars. Usually County libraries get money from the cities and towns in the county. If you have two forms of Id such as a drivers license, bank statement or utility bill, you are good to go. Just don't talk about being overseas. Show up on your next visit to the states. I'll tell you. There are tons of free courses that you can take to retrain you for life after Taiwan (or to keep you sane if you realize you cant get off this rock).

There are paid private libraries too.

In answer to a previous post. Yes, my library has on line reference material, news papers, correspondence courses, wma/mp3 audio books by the real publishers, interactive storybooks for children, kindle adobe e-pub books... They just added a video service. I have not had a chance to try that yet. OK.. Got the picture...
incidentally, the audio books and kindle and other protected media self destruct after the lending period is up. You are allowed five items at a time. You can choose the length of time from a menu but you can't give it back before hand.

Edit: Popular audio books/kindle/adobe reader and other protected media have waiting lists... The library buys a certain number of copies, when the item becomes available, you get an e-mail and three to five days to check that item out. If not, it goes to the next person on the list.

I know that some university libraries in Taiwan also offer US based data services. One of my student's parents, a post grad student showed me Tumble Books. That's the interactive story book service many US public libraries used. Here library had a password for its clients. There could be much more. Now how could us Wai Guo get ourselves membership into the University Library system with out being a student.
Let's check out our Taiwan County Libraries and National libraries and see what services they offer now. You are allowed to be a free member of your town library and of the National Library Near you. I'll have to did up my Kaohlsiung National Library Card and see what they offer nowadays. There may be more than we know.....

[scomargo]

Amazon also has lending to Prime members with the "Kindle Owners Library" but you can only rent ONE book at a time for a ONE MONTH period.
If you "give it back" earlier you can not rent a new book within that month. Does the same apply to the library you mention?

I tried this out last night using the Kindle for PC program (I won't have an actual Kindle until December). My hometown library in the US lets you check out up to 5 ebooks at a time, which is in contrast to the unlimited number of physical books you can check out at a time.

I checked out 2 ebooks last night just as a test. I then was told I could check out up to 3 more. Once I returned one of them, I was told I could check out 4 more. After I returned the other ebook, I was told I could check out 5 more.

So yes, you can keep up to 5 ebooks at a time (well, 5 is the limit for that library), return them as quickly as you wish, and check out more as soon as you wish. There's no waiting period involved to get another, except for when your ebook is already checked out and you need to get in the queue for that ebook.

[Taiwan_Student]

Yeah.. After almost a year of use, I go to check out some books for the kids. My public library end worked fine. I click on get book and it told me that I did not have a Kindle Registered.

I called customer service and they said that "Yes, you were able to check out some books but that was due to a systems glitch that was now fixed". I really don't know who these "Geo-Nazis" are trying to protect. I've more than once bought a book I liked or a similar one to that book which I borrowed.

We've got to test where the block is coming from. Any of you guys with a US ip Address or a trusted person in the states, please try to check out a book and then get it into your kindle. They were like "Blah Blah Blah" and "We're sorry" and the like until I showed them this link.

http://taipei.lib.overdrive.com/EE7AA2B2-4354-4DDF-AFFA-1031ABB91B8F/10/513/en/Default.htm

Then the rep took some notice. I told him that I really like the Kindle Reader and the way it plays Audible Books too, but I don't need two readers. Let's quietly find a work around to this problem. If not, let's all buy Epub readers and copy this page to Amazon. I'm going to try to enroll in the library on Monday.

My US library has both books, Epub and Kindle. Almost every book is available in both flavors so Amazon doesn't really have an advantage on the number of titles. I hate it when they fix a glitch that never gave anyone any trouble.
PS: I was so in love with my Kindle that I thought about a compromise. Joining Amazon Prime. They told me that it is not for overseas residents. So, if you were using that, you probably are blocked too.

[zyzzx]

Taiwan Student, Have you checked out ebooks from the Taipei library? I just went to try it out, but it wants a PIN, which I don't have. There's nothing on that website, or on the Library's website about how one gets a PIN. Do you have to trek over to the library for it?

I will try it with a US library account once I find my old library card.

[scomargo]

I just tried this again with the library in the town where my parents live in Texas, and it still works the same for me as before. I was able to complete the whole process, from loading up the overdrive website to getting the book on the kindle, in less than 5 minutes. Maybe your particular library is the one with the restrictions, maybe it's because my Amazon account uses a US address and yours uses a Taiwan address, or maybe something else is going on.

Good luck.

[asiababy]

Taiwan Student, Have you checked out ebooks from the Taipei library? I just went to try it out, but it wants a PIN, which I don't have. There's nothing on that website, or on the Library's website about how one gets a PIN. Do you have to trek over to the library for it?

I will try it with a US library account once I find my old library card.

Are you referring to the PIN you need after entering your library card no? If so, it's just your birthday (MM/DD), so April 6th is 0406.