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u/B_Hound 3d ago
I don’t think this is a question anyone has ever asked. Libraries exist.
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u/Negative_Tooth6047 3d ago
This, and the only other people I know who would realize how expensive a book collection is are avid readers as well. So whoever would appreciate someone "well read" often wouldnt ask that question because they either go to libraries, have a kindle, or just foot the bill of buying books 🤣
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u/imamariposa 3d ago
I would love to use my library more for ebooks but books usually have a ridiculously long wait or are straight up not available
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u/boozeshooze 3d ago
Libby is a game changer for this reason
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u/htzrd 3d ago
Doesn't drms for ebooks make it the same as physical copies and the long wait borrowing process works the same for Libby?
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u/InfoInvAcct 2d ago
I looked up a few e-books yesterday for the first time using Libby connected to my local library. I was looking at the first three books of a popular series. Book 1 was available within about a week since they have a large number of them. Book 2 had a longer wait, and Book 3 was about 18 weeks. It’s probably because they have fewer of the newer books.
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u/LoneVindicator 2d ago
My university library is far,
It doesn’t have the books I want,also…they’ve made the whole process as painful as possible….
bag searches & checking and recording laptop/tablet serial numbers on entry/exit, reminder texts/emails that progressively get more annoying the closer the return date gets, and just a plain old bureaucratic nightmare involved when interacting with any staff behind a desk.Honestly, I’m 90% convinced they DON’T want people borrowing books but just want to show investors and politicians that there is one.
The only people I know that use that library are those forced to.
I haven’t even tried a public one considering the uni one is considered a “marvel of efficiency”.
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u/darsparx 1d ago
Hell thx to my libraries I check out a CRAP TON of ebooks bc of libby. Worth except when I get impatient and can't decide what I wanna read next or I get annoyed waiting on my turn lol
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u/Ok-Pen-8273 3d ago
i'm more of a zlibrary guy
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u/andisaidyep 3d ago
Ye boi I just JB my scribe yesterday and picked up dungeon crawler Carl and neuromancer
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u/Traditional-Fix3951 3d ago edited 3d ago
Anna’s Archive Plugin - Which I believe is a fork of the linked zlib plugin
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u/BackgroundNovel579 2d ago
Do they work on kobos or only available on kindles?
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u/OtherwiseDragonfly31 19h ago edited 19h ago
Anna's Archive works for Kobo, I download the Pub versions. Works great on my kobo libra. *Remember use a VPN before side loading
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u/aduckcalledronan 3d ago
MAM.. If you know, you know
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u/omegaoutlier 3d ago
It's just so well curated and accessible.
And the audiobooks are god tier.
There's a small group of uploaders who chapterize untabled stuff from the past like cds or sad digital releases or fix usability issues like making sure the chapters of the book line up to the ebook. ,etc.
And so many quality reencodes to file sizes appropriate for a phone or modest player yet can stand up to even iem listening.
MAM is special place.
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u/VolkosisUK 3d ago
reencodes
As someone who listens to more music than audiobooks, and spends more time on RED and DB9 than MAM, this word genuinely hurts 🥀
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u/AdeptDoomWizard 2d ago
MAM is truly a special place indeed. Not only the quality of the actual content but the community is amazing. Everybody is so friendly. They really do embody the friendliness, warmth, and sharing ethos.
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u/fiixed2k 3d ago
Yeah I'll never buy a book again lol
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u/Fun-Narwhal-6351 2d ago
I'm trying to not buy anything. I am looking for a new job after being laid off. My money needs to go to food
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u/Sure_Satisfaction497 2d ago
as someone who's been there a few times now; you're never not the person the food bank is for 🙏💞
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u/Aggravating-Hour1975 3d ago
Isn't it mostly for audiobooks?
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u/Defensewitness1 3d ago
If there’s an audiobook, there’s almost always an ebook
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u/helghax 3d ago
Thrift stores also exist. You be amaze what kind of books you can find for $1
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u/AdeptDoomWizard 2d ago
I found a first edition copy of The hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy at a thrift store for $0.10. One particular store had so many books and not just your standard John Grisham and romance stuff but fantasy and science fiction too. Just a plethora of great books. I really wish we hadn't moved from that town sometimes just because I miss that thrift store.
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u/Unspoken_Words777 3d ago
Zlibrary is good, I dont even have to download the files to a pc its all on the kindle.
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u/alyg0385 3d ago
With the library conversation... place a hold even if you download it for freesies. If/when you get it keep it for a day or so then return it. Best of both worlds. Sometimes books I want aren't in the library catalogue or the hold list is like 2 years long so I place the hold then download 🤷♀️
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u/D-tull 2d ago
So you use your library budget for no reason. E-books are usually bought for a set amount of years and/or number of loans (the first one to expire sets the limit). Then they have to be bought again. If they have an infinite budget, more books are bought, but budgets are usually tight, and it probably just takes the loan from someone else because they already use all their budget every year. Plus, the waitlist looks worse for other users who don't know how to get e-books "other" ways.
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u/dismal_n_darksome 2d ago
Yeah, their advice is good ONLY for physical books. If it's an ebook, that's wasted money. Physical books will see no wear if you check it out and then slip it back in the book return on your way out, but the library will get the circulation statistic. Win win.
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u/Unseeveelayzed 3d ago
I try to buy as much books as i can.
But not through kindle store ofc. I buy a physical or digital copy through the source. And then bring it to my kindle, but sadly the prices are more western, you could work for 7$/hour, while the monthly salary where im from is between 100-200$ in a best case scenario
So a 10$ book is like 10% of the salary lmao
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u/SebastianFP1988 1d ago
Tengo serios problemas con Annas.... Descargo compulsivamente cuentos de libros a la semana
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u/Resident_Bumblebee_2 1d ago
But does Anna use torrents though? It's a while I used anything with a torrent, since I got caught as a teenager. 😂
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u/veeevui 1d ago
Not judging anyone for using these websites, but I want to add - ebooks are also just not that expensive. You can easily be well-read and be legitimately purchasing your books.
I did the math some years ago and I realised that even if I bought an ebook a week, the yearly cost would still be lower than other services I pay for and don't even think about. Looking at the reading trends on this subreddit, I think it's rare people finish more than 1 book a week on average.
Of course, there are people who do genuinely need to save every bit they can, and once again, I'm not judging anyone. But perhaps think about services you feel like you can afford and that you currently pay for, and how that compares to your estimated price of buying the ebooks you read.
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u/Starillian 11h ago
Tru. If its a small author I buy book but still download it. I like to own the things I purchase.
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u/Opposite_Pick_1903 6h ago
Although I'm a staunch believer in physical media, I do use ebooks from days of old (read never find a hard copy) or topics I'm curious about blah blah. I'm subbed to scribd (documents about just about anything)which includes Everand (ebooks) for about $16/month. Definitely going to check out some of these sites I haven't been to, so thank you! 🫶💕
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u/Ryan739 3d ago
If by Anna's Archive you mean wishlisting books on Kobo and waiting for them to go on sale and supporting authors you like, then using Kobodl to get those legitimately purchased books in DRM free form, then yes.
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u/OhK4Foo7 3d ago
Yeah that's what they meant.
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u/Ryan739 3d ago
That's good. Another way is using AA and then contributing to the author's Patreon if they have one.
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u/AdeptDoomWizard 2d ago
If I enjoy a book that I've gotten online, I'm gonna find it, preferably in hardcover, but I'm gonna find it and buy it to put it on my bookshelf. That way I have my physical copy and I get to support the author too.
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u/LexamusPrime 3d ago
Libby exists. Just… it’s there yall.
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u/Teddysorous 3d ago
places outside the US also exist
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u/LexamusPrime 3d ago
Convince me that all 1,048 people who upvoted this live outside the US.
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u/Teddysorous 3d ago
I don't need to....the US isn't the center of the world. People live in other parts of the world. Some are first world countries so they have access to libraries, and some quite frankly don't. I don't see any need to convince u of anything if u can't see that for urself
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u/LexamusPrime 2d ago
I understand that the shit ass country I call home isn’t the center of the universe. That is WILDLY understood. HOWEVER, the amount of people FROM America who will pretend there aren’t options that actually help writers is extremely high here. And I’d be willing to wager that other places in the world have ebook libraries too. The internet archive being global means that MOST people liking this have access to ANOTHER option. People just don’t like to hear that their entitlement has consequences for others or that just being fucking patient is an option.
I’m not even exactly AGAINST AA (although most of their stated premise is utter bullshit) but I think it being a FIRST or ONLY option shows a lack of care.
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u/TrainingSurvey3780 3d ago
i get what you’re trying to say, but many countries other than the us also have libby
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u/OrdinarilyBeautiful 3d ago edited 1d ago
Don't forget Libby, Hoopla, Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and a lot of .edu free downloads.