Amazon Lifts Edge of Curtain on Kindle Library Lending; Beta Testing Under Way

(This story has updated from an earlier version to include Amazon's request that the video be taken down from YouTube and comments from the Seattle PL's communications office. The video was reinstated on Wednesday, September 21.)

Amazon has posted on its website the first glimpse at how the Kindle library lending program will work, and the King County Library System and the Seattle Public Library in Washington have begun beta testing of Kindle lending.

The most significant detail is that library books are not be delivered via Kindle's 3G connection.

Marsha Iverson, a public relations specialist at King County, confirmed that the library had begun Kindle lending. The beginning of the testing was announced in a staff-wide email sent on Monday. The library has posted the following video describing the downloading process; however, after the initial posting of this story Amazon requested that the library take the video down from YouTube since the program is still only in the testing phase, according to David Burleigh, the director of marketing for OverDrive who declined to comment further. As of 3:30 EST the video was still available on YouTube [the video was subsequently removed and then reinstated on Sept. 21].

Andra Addison, the director of Seattle PL's communication office, said the library was not publicizing its testing because "It is embargoed until it is available to all partners."

According to the Amazon posting, a library patron visits the website of a U.S. library that offers digital services from OverDrive; the patron then checks out a Kindle book (library card required); then clicks on "Get for Kindle." The patron is then directed to Amazon.com to redeem the public library loan. They may be required to login to their Amazon.com account -- or create a new account -- if they are not already logged in.

They then can choose to read the book on their Kindle device, free reading app, or Kindle Cloud Reader. Public library books will require an active Wi-Fi connection for wireless delivery to a Kindle device. Library books will not be delivered via the Kindle's 3G connection.

If a patron attempts to send to a Kindle device and does not have an active Wi-Fi connection, they may instead choose to load the library book via USB. Once a public library book has been redeemed, it can be sent to any registered Kindle device or reading app from the Manage Your Kindle page.

A patron can read borrowed Kindle books on any generation Kindle device or all free Kindle apps, as well as in a web browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.

The availability of books and length of loan will vary by library. Three days before the end of the loan period, patrons will receive a courtesy reminder e-mail about the loan expiration.

A patron can also access all of the materials that he or she currently has checked out on the library's OverDrive-powered website. Public library books for Kindle are only available at U.S. libraries.<