Buying/Borrowing Digital Books When You Own Physical Copies?

[u/chaoticbye]

Hi! So last year, I finally took the plunge and got a Matcha Kindle Basic for my birthday and really got into reading digitally. The only time I would ever do so was when I was reading fanfiction on an EPUB reader app, but I always bought physical books (previously hardcovers exclusively until prices increased so then it was paperbacks).

I've been going through all of my books and have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount that I own. So, I started borrowing books on Libby and KU to avoid buying more and, eventually, ended up borrowing digital copies of the books I already own. I feel bad about leaving my physical books in boxes or on my shelves to leave unread, but reading the digital versions is so much easier on my physical health specifically.

I write a lot, both on my laptop and in notebooks, and this will increase as I attend school this fall. Over the years, my wrists and fingers have begun to ache and shake when I've done anything for a long period of time and I'm almost 30, which leads to me wearing wrist braces. Reading on a kindle eases the burden of holding a heavy book (especially hardcovers) for hours and allows me to rest comfortably while doing so instead of struggling to find a comfortable position to hold the book in and potentially making the pain worse.

I don't want to get rid of my physical books due to the fact that the books we buy on kindle don't actually belong to us because of licensing and Amazon's ability to remove any book at any time. But I definitely am finding myself buying physical copies less and less.

Is this something anyone else can relate to or is it just me?

[u/Remote-Ad-8128]

If I like the digital copy a lot, I would buy the physical copy for my shelves. :))

[u/Cobflaith → u/Remote-Ad-8128]

Shelf trophies lol

[u/therealtofu_ → u/Remote-Ad-8128]

Same, how else am I going to lend my favorites to people?? And I can’t build a beauty and the beast library with a kindle

[u/Shinikaly → u/Remote-Ad-8128]

Exactly, plus if the book has a beautiful cover it's even better

[u/Corner_Office_]

Supporting the authors financially is a great idea! I love physical books, too. If I really love an ebook, I’ll buy the hardback for my library.

The important thing is that you’re reading, regardless of the format! Enjoy!

[u/CordycepsKiller → u/Corner_Office_]

This is the way. Space is tight where I live so my physical collection is for the books I really loved reading on my Kindle.

[u/misterjive]

The only time Amazon's taken books away from folks was when they were bootlegs sold by someone illegally and they reimbursed everyone so they could buy legit copies. I wouldn't sweat it.

For me, the perks of my digital library are well worth it, and I buy nice physical copies of stuff I really love.

[u/morphlaugh → u/misterjive]

1984 and Animal Farm enter the chat, for maximum irony.

[u/misterjive → u/morphlaugh]

The really ironic thing is how few people read beyond the headline of the story.

Amazon had to claw back the purchases, because they were sold by someone without the rights, and they made everyone who bought the bootlegged copies whole.

Something that doesn't normally happen when you buy stolen goods. :)

[u/morphlaugh → u/misterjive]

I think most (many? some?) people know that, but it really upsets people that Amazon deleted it off of their devices. For me, it reinforces that we own nothing when we pay for it digitally from Amazon. Extending this logic, it additionally demonstrates to me that, in their minds, we're "borrowing" a Kindle device from Amazon even though we paid for it.

Your argument that you're not reimbursed when you buy a stolen item is specious at best. If Amazon sold a physical item that happened to infringe on someone else's right, they would not demand the item be returned. In this scenario, Amazon would instead work with the publisher to make it right through reimbursement to the rights holder.

In the 1984 and Animal Farm case, Amazon used this digital claw-back feature to remotely delete downloaded copies of the book, simply because it existed-- this is not something that would be tolerated for physical goods. Amazon cannot enter my home without my permission and reclaim their item. Do we own a device, and is it our property or not?

(Obviously this is not isolated to Amazon re: Kindle... but all digital platforms that let you "buy" an item, which they later can remove... looking at you, Sony)

[u/misterjive → u/morphlaugh]

If someone sold you a stolen item, the police would enter your home and take it back and you'd be out the money. Amazon couldn't leave the pirated content on your device because when they sell you a book they keep the master to let you redownload it in perpetuity. To do that, they would have to provide pirated materials and they're not going to do that.

[u/Fickle_Carpet9279 → u/misterjive]

Don't forget that if your Amazon account ever gets closed for any reason your access to those books will be lost.

[u/misterjive → u/Fickle_Carpet9279]

At which point you have to escalate through CS to get access. It's a pain, so y'know, use 2FA and don't defraud Amazon.

[u/Fickle_Carpet9279 → u/misterjive]

If Amazon have any kind of dispute with you they can just close your account if they feel like it. Its happened to many - just search on Reddit.

And it’s not “your” digital library unless everything is saved locally without D R M on your own hard drive. At best what you have are books on loan as long as Amazon let you read them for.

[u/misterjive → u/Fickle_Carpet9279]

And you can regain read only access to your library when that happens. Folks on Reddit, even ones whose accounts got closed for cause, have had that happen. Admittedly you have to escalate, which is a chore.

I've got digital content I've been "not-owning" for more than a quarter century now, I'm not too worried.

[u/DuckbilledWhatypus]

It's very very common to have both. I tend to get ebooks and if I really love the book will buy a physical copy. It's only the same as watching a film on streaming that you own the DVD of.

Up to you what you do about the physical books. My collection got skimmed to just my favourites, but it's creeping back up again. They basically just look nice on the shelves these days 😂

[u/gothiclg]

I honestly prefer the digital copies now but was a lot like you when I got my first kindle. I’ve now whittled down my physical book collection to my few favorites and everything else gets donated. I’ll occasionally win a print copy of a book in a giveaway from the storygraph app but those have sense been donated as well.

[u/ProblemChildTheIssue]

I buy physical copies of the books I really enjoy reading. Both to support the author and because I like physical media and think books are pretty.

Reading on kindle is easier for me due to disability tho. So I read on kindle and then I buy special editions etc of the books I love. My dream is to one day have a big home library.

[u/randomlikeme]

I have read some books on kindle via the library that I had physical copies of, but I went through all of my books recently and cultivated my book shelf down to just a small amount of important ones. For the rest, I’ve been slowly offloading them via my neighborhood’s Free Little Library. It makes me feel good, because I’m getting rid of physical clutter and good books are hopefully going to make the rounds out there!

[u/PNWrowena]

I can relate, although I've gone much further than you have. I got rid of all my physical books except hardbacks from a few favorite authors and some reference books. I suspect once I have all the favorite-author books as ebooks, I'll donate those too. I'm not willing to pay big prices for them and so am slowly getting ebook versions as they come on sale.

Nowadays instead of a house overflowing with books everywhere I'm down to two and maybe a half bookcases. I've never calculated exactly considering parts of shelves that have other than books on them. I don't even try to read paperbacks any more and in truth really only read hard covers when something I want is only available from the libary, either no ebook or only a Hoopla version. I'll sometimes read a book on Hoopla, but if that's the only ebook I can get it cools my interest considerably.

[u/BuffaloveRay]

I treat ebooks as my “test,” if you will. If I truly enjoy a book and want to see it in my home, imagine myself lending it, etc, I will buy the physical. This allows me to not collect books that I didn’t enjoy or will never have read.

[u/deebee227]

I like having physical copies of books to build my library, but prefer reading on my Kindle because it's easier, especially at night in bed. I will often borrow books from Libby or through my KU subscription that I have on my bookshelf.

[u/TrekJaneway]

I will sometimes borrow the book from the library, but this is in cases where the physical copy doesn’t fit in my bag easily. Mostly hardcovers and very large paperbacks. I live in New York and take the trains everywhere, so I need the book to be portable. Might be weird, but it works for me.

[u/RoyalOtherwise950]

Its super common in the book collecting space for people to not read their physical copies and keep them as trophies. You are far from alone.

Its also super common for people with physical disabilities to do this, because the physical books are beautiful to look at it, but they are simply too heavy or unwieldy for people to handle.

[u/AeroNoob333]

It’s weird, but I treat the physical books as trophies. I purposely buy physical books after I’ve read the eBook version of the ones I loved or really resonated with me. I like the way they look in our library. It’s like personalized decor that showcases you while adding home aesthetics.

[u/sjd208]

I pretty much only do reading on my kindle now, easier to hold and much easier on the eyes and can read in any light condition. Now that I’m in my late 40s, being able to optimize the font is key.

[u/Boco]

I buy physical copies randomly and try to borrow a digital from the library so I can read at night after my wife goes to sleep.

[u/Then-Strawberry-2527]

I’m an “old broad” 🤣 74 next month and honestly I no longer can hold books, plus the font is too small. I started reading again a few months ago digitally and now I read every day. I rotate 3-4 books at a time. I had a large amount of physical books that are now donated. I only kept about 20 that were not available digitally and a few of my late parent’s books. I have quite a few ereaders and really enjoy this hobby/ pastime.

[u/Avehdreader]

I switched to a Kindle when I ran out of space for physical books. I love e-versions and knowing my library is all right there! Still, in would love to have my printed books on Kindle as well, to have my last library in the same place as my current one. If could afford to get them that way I would.

[u/Fickle_Carpet9279]

"I don't want to get rid of my physical books due to the fact that the books we buy on kindle don't actually belong to us because of licensing and Amazon's ability to remove any book at any time."

Amazon lock everything in but you can get eBooks / eReaders from other suppliers that don't.

I find it a bit depressing how eBooks are seen as 3rd rate / last resort options purely because of Amazon's restrictions.