This browser extension shows you which Amazon books are available free at your local library

Authored by cnet.com and submitted by LuckyBastarred
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Wait! Stop! Before you order that copy of David Benioff's City of Thieves from Amazon (a book I highly recommend), check to see if it's available at your local library. Because free!

Oh, I know what you're saying: You don't have time to visit your library's website or load up one of the e-book-borrowing apps (as described in how to get free e-books from your public library) and do all that manual searching.

Good news: No extra time required. Library Extension immediately shows you if any given book is available at your local library. It's available now for Chrome, and it's coming soon for Firefox.

Once it's installed, you activate the extension by selecting your library and any available e-book services. At my library, for example, the extension was able to connect with not only the regular catalog, but also Hoopla and OverDrive. You can add multiple libraries if you wish, a good idea if your library is part of a network.

From there, anytime you browse at an online bookstore like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads or even Audible (yep, it works for audiobooks, too), Library Extension will appear with library availability information for any selected book.

Better still, one click is all it takes to visit the associated library or e-book service page, where you can then borrow the book or get on the waiting list.

I've only just started fiddling with Library Extension, but I'm already head over heels in love with it. If you love saving money just as much as you love to read, this is definitely a tool worth having.

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willun on April 11st, 2019 at 22:33 UTC »

Put a plug in for https://openlibrary.org/ which has many obscure books hard to find elsewhere. It is free.

elected_felon on April 11st, 2019 at 21:48 UTC »

The absolute best app out there is Libby. It allows you to borrow books from your local library digitally. Check it out!

arw1710 on April 11st, 2019 at 20:53 UTC »

This is absolutely fantastic! I just bought a couple of books today and after purchasing them thought to myself "wonder if the library had them".

Might actually drive up visits to the libraries as well when people realize it's there.