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Comment by aaronem | Hacker News Reader

I'd be interested to know how library ebook lending actually works. Are the original files hosted by the library, or does the library instead pass some sort of time-limited token to the reader which the publisher redeems for a copy of the text? I don't know anyone who works for a library, and I've never borrowed an ebook from a library; I'd be obliged to anyone with domain knowledge who'd care to describe the process here.

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I don't know of any public libraries that handle their own general ebook lending. They use services like Overdrive, and in the case of Overdrive how the actual ebook file is served depends on which type of ebook it is. For ePubs, the file is downloaded directly and managed with Adobe Digital Editions (Overdrive's ePubs are generally all protected with Adobe DRM). For Kindle books, the Overdrive site directs the user to the Amazon site (with some kind of authentication token) where the user can have the book sent to his/her Kindle device.

Many ( most? ) public libraries in the UK use the Overdrive service

http://www.overdrive.com/libraries/public-libraries/faq/

which is hosted by the vendor and branded for the library.

Your OverDrive digital library is a website that allows patrons 24/7 online access to a digital collection of eBooks, audiobooks, music and video.

Well i usually go to 4shared's library service :)

(really I do buy physical books and refuse to use ebooks until this sort of shit is in the past).

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