Why the Public Library Beats Amazon -- for Now

A growing stack of companies would like you to pay a monthly fee to read e-books, just like you subscribe to Netflix to binge on movies and TV shows. Don't bother. Go sign up for a public library card instead.

More than 90% of American public libraries have amassed e-book collections you can read on your iPad, and often even on a Kindle.

You don't have to walk into a branch or risk an overdue fine. And they're totally free. But libraries' current collection advantage, borne of those publisher contracts, isn't likely to last forever. Publishers may resolve their squabbles with Amazon or come to see paid subscriptions as a lucrative new market.

[Aug 12]