KINDLE LIBRARY LENDING IS HERE - It's Official today, at 11,000 libraries

KINDLE SOFTWARE AND PUBLIC LIBRARY ACCESS
Amazon's press release today boasts the following:

  "Kindle the only e-reader to deliver library books wirelessly; read on any Kindle or free Kindle app.
  Amazon's Whispersync technology automatically stores and synchronizes bookmarks, margin notes and highlights -- all available the next time you check out or buy the book."

Since this is fairly momentous for Amazon's Kindle customers, I'll quote the entire press release so you can see how they're presenting this today.  [Emphases in the quoted release are mine]

'SEATTLE, Sep 21, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
(NASDAQ: AMZN)-Amazon.com today announced that Kindle and Kindle app customers can now borrow Kindle books from more than 11,000 local libraries in the United States.  When a customer borrows a Kindle library book, they'll have all of the unique features they love about Kindle books, including Whispersync, which automatically synchronizes their margin notes, highlights and bookmarks, real page numbers, Facebook and Twitter integration, and more.  For more information about borrowing library books for your Kindle or free Kindle apps, go to www.amazon.com/kindle/publiclibraries.  To start checking out Kindle library books, visit your local library's website.

"Starting today, millions of Kindle customers can borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Libraries are a critical part of our communities and we're excited to be making Kindle books available at more than 11,000 local libraries around the country. We're even doing a little extra here - normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no.  But we're fixing this by extending our Whispersync technology to library books, so your notes, highlights and bookmarks are always backed up and available the next time you check out the book or if you decide to buy the book."

Customers will use their local library's website to search for and select a book to borrow. Once they choose a book, customers can choose to "Send to Kindle" and will be redirected to Amazon.com to login to their Amazon.com account and the book will be delivered to the device they select via Wi-Fi, or can be transferred via USB. 

Customers can check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any generation Kindle device or free Kindle app for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry or Windows Phone, as well as in their web browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.

"This is a welcome day for Kindle users in libraries everywhere and especially our Kindle users here at The Seattle Public Library," said Marcellus Turner, city librarian for The Seattle Public Library. "We're thrilled that Amazon is offering such a new approach to library ebooks that enhances the reader experience."

When borrowing a Kindle book from their local library, customers can take advantage of all of the unique features of Kindle books, including:

• Whispersync technology wirelessly sync your books, notes, highlights, and last page read across Kindle and free Kindle reading apps
• Real Page Numbers let you easily reference passages with page numbers that correspond to actual print editions
• Facebook and Twitter integration makes it easy to share favorite passages with your social networks
• Popular Highlights show you what our community of millions of Kindle readers think are the most interesting passages in your books
• Public Notes allow you to share your notes and see what others are saying about Kindle books

To start checking out Kindle library books, visit your local library's website. '

So, there it is ! It's actually here. I reported in an update to the previous blog article that Mobileread Forum posts from two members discussed downloading the library books with regular-Kindle-3 models using updated Kindle software version 3.3 (as opposed to the v3.1 for the regular Kindles), but a few Kindles remained at v3.1 and v3.2.1.

  If there is any change in the software being quietly aired to some Kindle 3 customers using both types of Kindle 3 models, it's not part of any general update on their Software page today which allows you to download the latest official versions.  I imagine downloading is no problem since that is normal, but non-crucial changes would involve checking for 3G downloads and preventing them as well as wording that 3G downloads won't be possible for this type of download and to use a USB transfer if WiFi access is not available.  The Kindles before Kindle 3 had 3G wireless with no WiFi module, so this will affect many who have been used to wireless downloads.  But this library lending is one feature upgrade that will include all Kindles for once, going back to Kindle Classic from 2007.


Kindle Touch 3G   Kindle Touch WiFi   Kindle Basic   (UK: KBasic)   Kindle Fire
Kindle Keybd 3G   (UK: Kindle Keybd 3G)   K3 Special Offers   K3-3G Special Offers   DX

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Check often: Temporarily-free recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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