Amazon adds lending library to Prime subscription service

Rich Fiscus
3 Nov 2011 4:40

Amazon has added a new feature targetted specifically at Kindle owners to their Amazon Prime program.
Amazon Prime is a subscription service which already gave members access to streaming video in addition to free 2 day shipping. Now they are adding a lending library usable only on their Kindle eReaders.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO said of the new service:

Owning a Kindle just got even better. Today, we're introducing a new Prime benefit built for Kindle: The Kindle Owners' Lending Library. Prime Members now have exclusive access to a huge library of books to read on any Kindle device at no additional cost and with no due dates.

Amazon Prime members will be able to "borrow" 1 book each month through the program. Currently it is limited to owners of Kindle hardware.

It will not be offered through Kindle software running on other devices, such as desktop and laptop computers, iPads or Android tablets other than the new Kindle Fire.

The exact number of books available through the program was not announced, except to say it is in the thousands.