Amazon.com is finding out how unpopular its lending program for public libraries is with publishers.
Penguin Group, one of the nation’s largest publishers, has curtailed making electronic editions of its new books available to libraries. And the publishing house also is prohibiting libraries from loaning any Penguin e-books for Kindle users.
“We have always placed a high value on the role that libraries can play in connecting our authors with our readers,” the publisher announced in a statement. “However, due to new concerns about the security of our digital editions, we find it necessary to delay the availability of our new titles in the digital format while we resolve these concerns with our business partners.”
In April, Amazon partnered with e-book distributor OverDrive to a launch a program that will let library patrons check out books on their Kindles. Amazon’s Kindle library lending program is now available at Seattle libraries.
The lending program for libraries is different from Amazon’s Kindle Owners’ Lending Library launched earlier this month. That program lets Prime users — those who pay up $79 per year for free shipping and other benefits — download one book per month for free to their Kindle devices.
None of the Big Six publishers — Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette and Macmillan — signed up to participate in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, citing fears that the program would harm book sales. (An earlier version of this post incorrectly linked the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library service with the public library program).