Amazon’s Kindle Plays A Part In Penguin’s Library Decision

Penguin is ending its partnership with OverDrive and will no longer provide e-books or digital audiobooks to libraries. It’s become clear that OverDrive’s relationship with Amazon played a part in the decision.

Back in November when Penguin stopped offering new e-books to libraries, it also stopped offering e-books to library patrons using Kindles. A few days later, Penguin restored Kindle access, but also noted, “Penguin informed suppliers to libraries that it expected them to abide by existing agreements to offer older digital titles to libraries only if those files were held behind the firewalls of the suppliers.” If you have a Kindle and check out a library book on it, clicking “Get for Kindle” sends you straight to Amazon’s website instead of having you check out the book from within the library’s site. Kindle borrowing is done over the air, so if you check out a library book on Kindle it will be delivered wirelessly to your device, just like a book you buy from the Kindle Store. That wasn’t how it was supposed to be.