# Kindle Prime borrowers' library.



## kindlematt (Mar 1, 2013)

They say you can borrow one book "per month". How do they measure a month: from the time you borrow the book, or form the beginning of a calendar month?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

It's the calendar month.  You can keep a borrowed book as long as you want, but you can't borrow another one until you've returned the prior book, even if the calendar month is over.  If you return the borrowed book before the month is out, you'll have to wait for the next calendar month.

Betsy


----------



## __Amy__ (Mar 31, 2013)

*With all the free Kindle books available, do you find yourself using the Kindle Prime Library? *~* Amy *~* *


----------



## JetJammer (Jan 18, 2009)

I do.  Every time I see a book I think I might be interested in that's "borrowable", I send myself a sample and put it into a folder on my Kindle.  Then, the first of every month, I go through the folder, find one that looks interesting right then, and borrow it.  Just another option to go with the free books out there!


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

JetJammer said:


> I do. Every time I see a book I think I might be interested in that's "borrowable", I send myself a sample and put it into a folder on my Kindle. Then, the first of every month, I go through the folder, find one that looks interesting right then, and borrow it. Just another option to go with the free books out there!


That is a great idea. 
deb


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

__Amy__ said:


> *With all the free Kindle books available, do you find yourself using the Kindle Prime Library? *~* Amy *~* *


I do. Max Allan Collins, one of my favorite authors, has his works available this way, and I'm reading through the ones I haven't bought. A large number of science fiction books by Arthur C. Clarke have recently been Kindleized and are available through the program, so I'll be reading those.

True, I could live without the program, but I like having it available.


----------



## BoomerSoonerOKU (Nov 22, 2009)

I've been using the feature to read books I normally wouldn't buy.  Found a few good authors this way, and a few I didn't really care for.  Twelve free books a year though isn't anything to sneeze at.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

__Amy__ said:


> *With all the free Kindle books available, do you find yourself using the Kindle Prime Library? *~* Amy *~* *


Yep, when I see a book I'm interested in, I put it on my "Prime" wish list. Then, when I need a new book, I go to that list from my Kindle and browse it. I can then download directly to the Kindle.

Betsy


----------



## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

__Amy__ said:


> *With all the free Kindle books available, do you find yourself using the Kindle Prime Library? *~* Amy *~* *


I don't use it every month, but I do use it occasionally. It's good for the non-freebies that I'm not sure I want to pay for, even if it's just a few bucks. I'm also more hesitant about adding to my massive MYK page these days.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I use it regularly.  If I see a book I think I'd like to read but don't want to buy right then, I wishlist it.  If it's a prime book, I put it on my Prime Wish List rather than the regular one.  I definitely borrow one a month though, for example, I borrowed my March one a while ago and have only just gotten to it. . . still, I expect I'll finish it before April is done and I can get my April one as long as I do it before May.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yep, when I see a book I'm interested in, I put it on my "Prime" wish list. Then, when I need a new book, I go to that list from my Kindle and browse it. I can then download directly to the Kindle.
> 
> Betsy


Yep, that is what I do. I read a post by someone here months back and its very easy to do it that way.

I have used my prime loan every month since the program started. I have not missed one yet. Its a prime perk and I am going to use it. 

I got my March pick on the very last day of march. Sometimes I am behind. . As long as I get to it before the last day of the needed prime month, I am good.


----------



## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

At first I made sure I got my Prime book every month, then I gave up trying.  Too much pressure!   Now I don't worry about it because there are plenty of other free books and the Prime books are mostly the cheap/free/not-so-great ones anyway (few or no best sellers there, or if there are any, they are buried amongst the others and too hard to find by browsing).


----------



## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I don't specifically go searching for books which are free or on Prime, I just look for books or follow recommendations regardless.

Then if I find something I want, if it's free I get it there and then - which doesn't seem to happen that often - or I wish list it, keeping a separate list for books I can borrow. Then the first time in a new month when I'm ready for a new book, unless there's something else I'm really keen to read, I go to my borrow wish list first. That way, I usually manage not to miss any months.

I'm a Prime member because the amount of stuff I buy at Amazon makes it cost effective to pay for subscription delivery - the Prime lending feature is just a great bonus it would be silly not to take advantge of.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

My thoughts coincide pretty much exactly with Linda's. . . . I don't have Prime for the book borrowing, but since it's part of the deal, I take advantage of it.


----------



## 25803 (Oct 24, 2010)

I have borrowed exactly one through my prime membership. The problem is I didn't mark it in any way to designate it as a prime borrow, so I don't know which of the hundreds of ebooks on my Kindle is my prime borrow book. Does anyone know how to determine which book has been borrowed? I can't return it and get another one until I figure this out!


----------



## readingril (Oct 29, 2010)

If you go to your Manage Your Kindle page, (hopefully the following link will work)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/manage?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_manage_kindle
click on the dropdown for View, select Loans, and anything that's been loaned to you will be listed. It should have a Prime icon after the title. On the right hand side of the page next to the title click on the Actions dropdown and select return. Click yes to confirm the return.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Also, if you are browsing the Kindle store on your Kindle, and find a Prime book you'd like to borrow for free, you can try to borrow it.  It will have the Prime logo and also have a button that says "Borrow for Free."  

If you try to borrow it by tapping on the "Borrow for Free" button, you'll get a pop up that says "Please return your current book.  You may only borrow one book at a time."  It will tell you which book you're trying to borrow and which you need to return.  And give you the option to Return the book and then borrow the other book.  

I kind of like this 'cause it's one-stop shopping.    And I'm lazy.

Betsy


----------



## readingril (Oct 29, 2010)

Now that's an easy way to do it!  I'm used to doing it from the web because I keep track of the Prime / Overdrive titles I've borrowed... I've managed to check a book out I've already read and keep a list from that loaned page so I don't do it again!


----------



## 25803 (Oct 24, 2010)

Thanks Readingril and Betsy!

I tried the link, but it doesn't have Loans on my drop down menu or sidebar. I'll try Betsy's method on my Kindle later today. I tried borrowing a book before, but it didn't let me, which is why I thought I already had a book on loan. But maybe I don't and there's some other problem. I've been a prime member for years, so I know that's not the issue


----------



## JuliMonroe (Apr 25, 2011)

I use it every month. I have a "Prime Samples" folder on my Kindle, and when it's time to borrow a book, I start reading samples until I find one that looks good enough to borrow.

I've been finding some good books advertised in Special Offers, and many of them are Prime Lendable. Like others, I wouldn't pay for Prime just for that, but since I have it anyway, I figure I might as well get the most out of it.


----------



## Muddypawz (Jan 13, 2009)

readingril said:


> If you go to your Manage Your Kindle page, (hopefully the following link will work)
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/manage?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_manage_kindle
> click on the dropdown for View, select Loans, and anything that's been loaned to you will be listed. It should have a Prime icon after the title. On the right hand side of the page next to the title click on the Actions dropdown and select return. Click yes to confirm the return.


I'm so glad to learn about this! I also had a long loaned but forgotten book. I'd inadvertently used Betsy's method some time back when I tried to borrow another book but more recently couldn't remember what I'd done to show the loaned book. After viewing the loaned book a few minutes ago, I discovered I also had a number of books with available updates that I hadn't yet updated. I updated those as well so I think I'm all caught up now.


----------



## freelantzer (Apr 28, 2010)

KathyCarmichael said:


> Thanks Readingril and Betsy!
> 
> I tried the link, but it doesn't have Loans on my drop down menu or sidebar. I'll try Betsy's method on my Kindle later today. I tried borrowing a book before, but it didn't let me, which is why I thought I already had a book on loan. But maybe I don't and there's some other problem. I've been a prime member for years, so I know that's not the issue


I tried the link and it worked, but I had to scroll down in the drop down menu to get to loans.


----------



## TerryS (Mar 29, 2011)

I do like a few here said. I have a list and every month I choose a book. Often a new author.


----------



## luvshihtzu (Dec 19, 2008)

I do the same thing regarding getting the samples of any "free prime lending " book I am interested in reading.  Julie Smith is one of the authors whose three different series are all on the prime lending list.  This allows me to fill in the series as I go.  A few of her books have been free in the past and now with the free prime lending loans the author gets more income and I get to read all the rest of her series without a huge cash outlay.  It works great for me.


----------



## Vicki G. (Feb 18, 2010)

I did the "Loans" thing in MYK and it only shows books I've borrowed from the public library.  All of these have been returned and I don't currently have anything checked out from the Prime Lending Library, book being finished and returned, waiting for May.  Shouldn't the Prime lending books be showing up as well? Just wondering.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Vicki G. said:


> I did the "Loans" thing in MYK and it only shows books I've borrowed from the public library. All of these have been returned and I don't currently have anything checked out from the Prime Lending Library, book being finished and returned, waiting for May. Shouldn't the Prime lending books be showing up as well? Just wondering.


It will not show the prime books you already read as it does the library loans. It will only show you your current prime loan, so if you returned that and haven't gotten another, you wont have a record. I have a goodreads shelf for them.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Atunah said:


> It will not show the prime books you already read as it does the library loans. It will only show you your current prime loan, so if you returned that and haven't gotten another, you wont have a record. I have a goodreads shelf for them.


Yeah. . .It would be better if it showed somehow what you'd already borrowed. So you don't accidentally waste a borrow getting it again.  I don't know that it would warn you if you tried to do that. . . . .


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I don't think it warns you. I think I tried that out a while back. Tried to get a book I already read as prime and I could have done so, no message. At least not at that point, I didn't go all the way through with it. 

That is why I was glad I started my prime shelf. So I would remember. Maybe a wishlist on Amazon for already read prime would work too.


----------



## Vicki G. (Feb 18, 2010)

I was borrowing a number of books at one time and of course, once you return the book, it's gone from your Kindle.  So I started downloading a sample of the book and then I put it in my "Read in 2013" Collection.  It works for me... sometimes.    Yep, a warning would definitely be better.  With Prime, if I see something that interests me I started a Wish List for Prime Lending.  When I've checked it out, I delete it off the wish list.  Also have a Collection on my PW.  Department of Redundancy Department!  That's me.


----------



## SeymourKopath (Jul 24, 2012)

I know we can only speculate here, but what does everyone think the chances are that someday Amazon will increase, or even totally drop, the 1-book-per-month limit? I just signed up for the Prime 30-day trial, borrowed my first book - a 130-page novel - and finished it in 2 days. I would love to be able to return it and borrow another book now, rather than waiting until the first of next month.

What limits, if any, would you guys like to see? Personally, I'd love unlimited borrowing subject to 1 book borrowed at a time. Finish a book, return it, and borrow another one. Anyone else?


----------



## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

SeymourKopath said:


> I know we can only speculate here, but what does everyone think the chances are that someday Amazon will increase, or even totally drop, the 1-book-per-month limit? I just signed up for the Prime 30-day trial, borrowed my first book - a 130-page novel - and finished it in 2 days. I would love to be able to return it and borrow another book now, rather than waiting until the first of next month.
> 
> What limits, if any, would you guys like to see? Personally, I'd love unlimited borrowing subject to 1 book borrowed at a time. Finish a book, return it, and borrow another one. Anyone else?


Won't happen, Amazon's business is selling books.


----------



## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I have to agree with Intinst. The one book per month is just another enticement to get you to sign up for Prime.

Once you've done that, you're much more likely to buy from Amazon than elsewhere, just to make sure you get your money's worth in delivery charges since you've already paid for them.

I can't see any advantage to Amazon in increasing the number of books.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Agree with those two. . . . . . . Prime is a shipping enticement primarily -- the book borrowing and free-to-stream- videos are icing on the cake and I don't think they're likely to make it any thicker.


----------

