Kindle library book question

[Dakota731]

I heard if you turn your wifi off you can keep a library e-book indefinitely. However I had a few pages left before my book expired, so I turned it off and my book still was removed, and I couldn't finish the ending. This has happened several times so not sure what I'm doing wrong.

 

[disney144]

I do this all the time with the kindle on airplane mode. Not sure why it isn't working.

 

[jo-jo]

I never heard of that, but I understand your pain. I was almost done by a matter of pages and lost the book. And I had to wait to get the book back since it was in demand. All for about 3 pages.

 

[Dakota731]

Yeah now I'm #96 on the wait list- I'll forget what I read by then. It keeps the book on my Kindle for s day or two then it's removed. When I search Google it says you should be able to keep it until you turn your wifi back on ugh

 

[JenzyHP]

Mine will stay indefinitely with the wifi off. It is the wifi only one.

 

[CoP Luv]

Mine will stay with the wifi off. I tend to get a bunch of books all at the same time from the library, turn the wifi off and I can read as my own pace without having to worry about any book disappearing.

 

[jen7233]

I've never heard of this. I tried borrowing Kindle books from my library before and stopped because I couldn't finish the books before it was "due" back. I guess I should check out this method here.

 

[biochemgirl]

My traditional kindle reader works like this. The book I finished last night had expired the day before

My Fire tablet is different. Even when I try to turn off the Wi-Fi and close programs, the system is busy behind the scenes! It definitely has instructions to access the network behind my back. When I come back to it a few days later the battery is nearly drained and at least half a dozen apps are now active. It was a super cheap black Friday deal last year. The tablet is so slow and bloated with unwanted apps that it's basically unusable.

 

[Dakota731]

Mine is the Fire so I wonder if that is the issue. This has happened several times so it's obviously removing books even when wifi is off! I'm not really technical but amazed it's able to do this!

 

[twoolle]

As long as I don't exit out of the book I think it stays on my Kindle paperwhite. It has been a while though, my library has moved most of their ebooks to hoopla which isn't available on Kindle paperwhite.

 

[penguin087]

As long as I stay in airplane mode the book stays. I have the Paperwhite with wireless and 3G just turning off the wireless doesnt work. Have to be in airplane mode.

 

[scard192]

I read on my Kindle e-reader and never turn wifi on unless I am downloading a new book. Keep the books later than 21 days and have never had a problem. wifi off also makes the battery last longer. My Kindle is wifi only.

 

[Simba07]

It doesn't work on my fire either.

 

[Dakota731]

Do you turn off wifi then put in airplane mode to keep the book?

 

[NotUrsula]

The reason that only airplane mode works for Kindles is that Amazon devices are set up with a sort of cell-phone-type calling that only works to communicate with one place: Amazon. This means that Amazon doesn't need wifi to reach the device. Overdrive access to Kindle devices is routed through Amazon. However, as PP have said, airplane mode will preserve the loan for the extra time.

Please be aware that most library systems have multiple borrowing period choices, but the default setting is usually the shortest loan period choice. Check your Overdrive library account settings to be sure that you are borrowing for the longest possible period if you are not a very fast reader. (And if you get a few chapters in and find you don't like the title, please "return" it right away, rather than letting the loan expire. Someone else may be waiting for the book.)

I'm a librarian and I personally have two Overdrive accounts plus one on HooplaDigital. I average about 30 electronic loans a month, and it's not unusual for me to run through 2 fiction titles in a day (I also borrow audiobooks.) What we typically tell people to do is to reserve a variety of titles on a staggered basis, so as to keep a regular flow of books that interest you. You can always "return" what you decide you don't like.
(If this seems counter-intuitive, realize that funding for particular Library programs typically is demand-driven. If you want to provide a larger collection, you have to justify that by proving that the demand is high enough to warrant putting a larger share of money into that program cost. We can't prove that unless we get traffic statistics that show it.)

 

[Simba's Mom]

I have two kindles yet I don't know anything about this supposed Kindle library service. Is it free?

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I have two kindles yet I don't know anything about this supposed Kindle library service. Is it free?

You can actually borrow books through your local library on Kindle if your library supports it. I used to do it but quickly got fed up with the long waits for popular books. Now it's been years since I've borrowed Kindle books from my library.

I went in there 2 weeks ago and looked around - I asked one of the people standing at their portable help stands (what is up with that rather than an actual help desk you can find??) what happened to all the books?
She told me that many people don't actually borrow books anymore so they've reduced that area and put in more computers and DVD/Blu Ray rentals when they remodeled a few months ago. It made me sad - I used to love the library and looking for books to borrow. Now that's not a good option anymore.

I feel so old.......

 

[Dakota731]

I love the Kindle library books -what a great budget saver! I read two or three books a week - I seem to read them much quicker on my Kindle, and it usually only takes a week or two to get the newest best sellers. There are so many other books to chose from that I feel like I have my own library in my home.

 

[afan]

I went in there 2 weeks ago and looked around - I asked one of the people standing at their portable help stands (what is up with that rather than an actual help desk you can find??) what happened to all the books?
She told me that many people don't actually borrow books anymore so they've reduced that area and put in more computers and DVD/Blu Ray rentals when they remodeled a few months ago. It made me sad - I used to love the library and looking for books to borrow. Now that's not a good option anymore.

I think it is all dependent on where you are. I'm south of Seattle a bit and went to one of my county libraries Saturday. I had a few to return and browsed and came out with 5 new books. If I can't find what I want I look on their catalog and put a hold on it either for a real book or an ebook. I don't mind waiting as I generally don't buy books any more since I don't read them again. Most of the county libraries here have been remodeled but all still have a check out desk and info desk, though at some smaller locations they are one and the same. I always see people using the computers and reading various papers when I go in and there are a ton of books on the hold shelves waiting to be picked up.

I like being able to get a kindle book because if I finish a real book and can't get to the library for another I can get something to read in the mean time. It's also sometimes faster to get the ebook than having the actual book transferred from another library branch so I can pick it up at mine.

 

[WVMomof3]

I love my kindle and the free library books. I turn my wifi off all the time to keep the books longer. Mine is a wifi only, so I do think turning on Airplane mode for the other ones should work. There are several library books that never returned and I can still see them over a year later. Could never figure that out. I always wondered if I somehow made them go out of circulation to others? I am really not sure how all that works.