One of the most popular Kindle programs is coming to an end.
What you need to know
- Amazon is closing down the Kindle Owners Lending Library program on January 4, 2021.
- The program was introduced in 2011 and allowed Kindle owners to browse a selection of eBooks and borrow one for free each month.
- Prime Reading, which was launched in 2016, is a similar program but lets users borrow up to 8 titles at a time.
The Kindle Lending Library program, which was launched in 2011, will finally be discontinued on January 4, 2021 (via GoodEReader). While the program was immensely popular among Kindle owners in the early years, Amazon began supplanting it after Prime Reading was introduced.
The Kindle Lending Library program allowed Kindle users to browse through a large selection of eBooks and borrow one for free every month. While Amazon will no longer offer Kindle Owners Lending Library starting January 4, 2021, you can continue reading books that you previously borrowed from the program.
Now that the Kindle Lending Library program is closing down, Prime Reading remains the only option for Kindle owners to get content for free. Amazon also offers Kindle Unlimited, which has a much wider selection of titles than Prime Reading, but costs $10 a month in the U.S. Like Prime Video and Prime Music, Prime Reading is free for Prime members.
It is worth noting that Lending for Kindle, which lets Kindle owners lend digital books to friends and family, will continue to be available.
How to read free books on an Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader
$130 at Amazon
$130 at Best Buy
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