Update Jan 2010: For Kindle to Kindle book lending, see a more recent post
That's right, borrowing eBooks! It may be possible for you to loan eBooks from your library, just like you do with a regular hardback.
Critics of Kindle or other eReaders often cite that eBooks cannot be shared amongst friends, and why buy a Kindle when you can no longer borrow from the library?
Well, with DRM on many eReaders, sharing books between friends isn't always possible. However, some libraries are able to loan out eBooks. OverDrive and NetLibrary are two organizations that are providing electronic books to libraries.
To find out if your local library is part of one of these networks, visit:
http://search.overdrive.com/ or
http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/EBook_Lending_Libraries#Limited_Access
How does it work?
Each eBook is assigned with DRM and a "due date". Once the due date is reached, the eBook expires and becomes available to another lender.
Now, it won't necessarily be the case that you can borrow a book and be reading in minutes, as you do when you purchase a Kindle edition. The eBooks may be in various formats - pdf or MobiPocket for example. The library pdf formats are not currently capable of being transferred to the Kindle but if they are MoboPocket format you are in luck.
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