-
Is Book Sharing a Threat? →
As a proud Kindle owner, I’m not afraid to admit that Barnes & Noble’s Nook is absolutely gorgeous, perhaps because it brings me closer to a visual presentation of what Apple’s version of an eBook reader would look like.
The touchscreen looks slick enough to entice anyone but what wooed me more was the LendMe feature that has attracted an equal amount of attention because it creates an efficient way to mimic the physical book world.
The question has been whether the “lending” of books will discourage potential consumers from buying their own copy. I think not especially since the feature does come with limitations and in how the following scenario is very frequent and conducive to spending anyway -
We’ve all had friends push a favorite book on us. Sometimes it’s annoying, sometimes it’s a life changing. Frequently we end up buying other books by the same author as a result of the initial loan. In that respect, loaned books are like a gateway drug. It’s in the publishing industry’s best interest to ensure that the loaning of books continues in the digital era.
