Amazon will offer kindle books for libraries

Amazon announced yesterday that it will offer kindle books for libraries later this year. Library patrons will be able to borrow kindle books from their local library and access them from any Kindle device or Kindle app for mobile and desktop devices, including Android, Apple devices, Windows Phone, Blackberry, PC and Mac.

Yet there are a lot of details haven't been revealed, 

• Lending policy/check out model; 
• Partnership publishers;
• License agreement;
• Will books be expired after a certain number of checkouts? (HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations) 
• Will libraries have to buy new e-book copies in order to have files available in a Kindle-compatible format? 

According to Karen Estrovich, Manager of content for sales for OverDrive,

Your existing collection of downloadable eBooks will be available to Kindle customers. As you add new eBooks to your collection, those titles will also be available in Kindle format for lending to Kindle and Kindle reading apps. Your library will not need to purchase any additional units to have Kindle compatibility. This will work for your existing copies and units.

A user will be able to browse for titles on any desktop or mobile operating system, check out a title with a library card, and then select Kindle as the delivery destination. The borrowed title will then be able to be enjoyed using any Kindle device and all of Amazon’s free Kindle Reading Apps.

The Kindle eBook titles borrowed from a library will carry the same rules and policies as all our other eBooks.

It seems that libraries don't need to pay any additional costs for kindle compatible formats for existing ebook collections. And I hope it also means libraries will only need to pay once to obtain copy in both ePub and Kindle format. 

The most exciting feature I found about Kindle is annotation. Kindle allows user to take notes, highlights, add bookmarks on Kindle books and personal documents. Users can view annotations within the book/document by browsing "view notes/highlights", can share annotation via Facebook/Twitter. The annotations are saved in a txt file called "My Clippings" and users can export the annotations to their computers. 

It's even more exciting to learn that users will be able to make annotations on library kindle books. According to Jay Marine, director of Amazon Kindle, the notes will be "perfectly Whispersynced", the next library patron won't see them. But you'll be able to access them again if you check the book out again or purchase it. Does it mean users will not be able to export notes as a separate file? (or maybe I'm asking too much? Taking notes on library books is good enough?)

Bobbi Newman (Twitter @librarianbyday) also raised some questions regarding privacy issues,

• While I love the notes option I am NOT ok with linking my Kindle to my library account, can I opt out of this?
• When you say “Your users’ confidential information will be protected.” What exactly does that mean? Exactly how much of my check out information will Amazon have access to? How will that change if/when I choose to purchase a title I’d borrowed?

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The more I think about how it will impact libraries, librarians and general public, the more complicated it looks to me. I'll just leave it here and discuss more later hopefully.