Tips & more

Kindle Owners' Lending Library has been practically discontinued

If yous purchase an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee. Details.

Amazon Kindle Owners' Lending Library discontinued

Prime members tin can't find and access Kindle Owners' Lending Library books whatever longer. They are presented with Prime number Reading or Kindle Unlimited books, instead.

Correct now, Kindle Unlimited members can admission over 1.4 one thousand thousand gratuitous books, comics, magazines, and audiobooks. Why pay for the separate subscription, if yous can admission these books for free thank you to your Amazon Prime and Kindle Owner's Lending Library?

Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL) – a part of Amazon Prime multi-do good subscription service – despite its several flaws, had 1 huge advantage: it was giving access to a large catalog of eligible books, comparable to Kindle Unlimited.

The matter is that you lot can't, any longer. Amazon has not announced a termination of KOLL, but the service is practically unreachable. Here are 5 proofs:

1st proof: Kindle Owners' Lending Library forepart folio has a express functionality, presenting a slider with ii dozen books, with a headline "Thousands of Books to Borrow". What's more, these books come with "Kindle Unlimited" characterization.

2nd proof: Old means to detect Kindle Owners' Lending Library books don't work. Amazon has removed from their website all hints of KOLL eligibility. These hints were previously present in the defended KOLL catalog, on browse and search pages, as well as on product pages.

3rd proof: Kindle Owners' Lending Library was removed from an official list of Prime Membership benefits. Among the benefits for readers, you volition find Prime Reading, Amazon First Reads, Prime Print Magazines, and Prime Book Box, but no KOLL. Information technology'south also worth noting that Kindle First, early on access to Amazon editors' favorite new books, was also removed from a listing of Prime benefits.

4th proof: KOLL is non bachelor among featured links in both Kindle apps and Kindle e-readers. When you enter Discover section, yous will see quick links to Kindle Unlimited, Prime number Reading, as well as Amazon Charts, but no Kindle Owners' Lending Library.

5th proof: When you search Amazon for "Kindle Owners Lending Library" you are presented with a list of Kindle Unlimited books. Likewise, you will see an interesting matter on the pinnacle of a list: a familiar Kindle app logo and the headline saying "Kindle Lending Library." If y'all click on it, you volition land in general Kindle support pages. What's more, two links underneath direct to articles explaining how to check out Kindle books from a public library.

As you run across, this Amazon Prime do good tailored for occasional readers has been practically discontinued – users can't admission eligible books any longer.

Information technology's worth noting that data about Kindle Owners' Lending Library is still available on Amazon Prime number help pages.

An easy explanation of why Amazon decided to fade out KOLL is that in that location is another Prime number do good that'due south addressed to subscribers who are interested in books and audiobooks: Prime Reading.

The problem is that these ii services have one major departure: a number of eligible books.

Kindle Owners' Lending Library had two major disadvantages: it allowed borrowing only one book per month, and allowed reading only on Amazon devices (either Kindle e-readers or Fire tablets). However, you could choose a free book from a vast itemize. In 2015, over 1 meg titles were bachelor for borrow via KOLL. Assuming both KOLL and Kindle Unlimited have similarly growing catalogs, it would have been over ane.4 1000000 eligible books by now.

Yous may say Amazon Prime Reading is also a smashing service for occasional readers. What's more, you can download and read more than one ebook or audiobook per month, and you don't need a Kindle for that (any free Kindle app works with the service, likewise).

The merely trouble with Prime number Reading is that you tin can choose from some 3 1000 books, not one.iv one thousand thousand. The list is rotating merely the rule is unproblematic: with Prime number Reading, you lot tin can merely read what anybody else is reading (and but think what everyone else is thinking – Haruki Murakami).

By removing Kindle Owners' Lending Library, as well and developing new incentives to sign up for Kindle Unlimited, Amazon is clearly trying to convince customers to use two subscription-based services simultaneously.

Are you going to stick with Prime, using Prime Reading, or switch to Kindle Unlimited?

• • •

We removed a comment system to increase your privacy and reduce distractions. If you'd like to discuss this article, we are waiting for you on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can also follow the states on Google News or grab our RSS feed.

Interested in all things Kindle? Keep exploring:

Kindle case or sleeve? These tips will aid you lot make up one's mind
– December 30, 2021

The twenty best books to read on your iPad in 2022
– Dec 23, 2021

16 gift ideas for the Kindle lover in your life
– Dec thirteen, 2021

A concept of the adjacent-generation Kindle Paperwhite, plus a feature wishlist
– October 27, 2021

Black Friday 2021 Kindle price spotter and deals
– October 27, 2021