My Favorite Free Browser Extension Easily Has Saved Me Hundreds of Dollars

Bookworm, studying junkie, bibliophile — name me any of these names, I do not care. Since my childhood obsession with The Bobbsey Twins and Trixie Belden, I’ve purchased far more books than I may ever learn. And psst, right here, I am about to disclose the free browser extension that lets me feed my behavior with out spending a dime — in truth, I might estimate it is simply saved me a whole bunch, if not 1000’s, of {dollars} over time.

Prepared? It is Library Extension, and it is so clean to make use of I virtually overlook that everyone would not learn about it.

I largely use Google Chrome, so I put in it for that browser. Now once I go to Amazon in search of a e-book I am interested in, the extension pops up textual content on the appropriate aspect of that e-book’s web page and tells me if the e-book is accessible in my native library. It additionally reveals music and audiobooks in the event that they’re accessible for borrowing.

This is a latest instance: A good friend raved in regards to the 2018 thriller One thing within the Water, by Catherine Steadman. As I write this, Amazon is promoting the e-book for $9.99 for Kindle (£8.32, AU$14.43), $14.95 for audiobook (£12.46, AU$21.59), $13.64 and underneath for used hardcover, (£11.37, AU$19.70), $12.18 and underneath for paperback (£10.15, AU$17.59), and even $19.99 and underneath for an audio CD (£16.67, AU$28.87).

However once I surf over to the Amazon web page for the e-book, my handy-dandy Library Extension pops up and factors out to me that my native library right here in Seattle has 10 copies of the audiobook accessible, eight copies of the print e-book, and 6 copies of the e-book. Effectively, 5 now — as a result of I instantly clicked on Borrow for the e-book. 

Once I did that, the extension opened up a brand new window for the e-book’s web page on the Seattle library web site. I clicked on Borrow once more, after which Get Library Guide, and it instantly downloaded the e-book to my Kindle and free Kindle app on my iPhone, informing me that I had free entry to the e-book for 21 days. Fairly good for a free extension that took lower than 10 seconds to make use of from begin to end.

In fact, the choice of library books relies on your native library system’s assortment. However Library Extension’s web site says it presently helps greater than 5,000 libraries world wide. If yours is not amongst them, you may ask to have it added.

Sizzling, well-liked, brand-new books at my library are going to have a wait listing. Once I checked Ruth Ware’s the It Woman, which simply got here out on July 21, 2022, Library Extension informed me there was a ready listing for audiobook, e-book and print e-book at my library. Nonetheless, it was useful, because it informed me how many individuals already had a maintain on the e-book, and the way lengthy the wait can be. I may be part of the Maintain listing or not. (Spoiler: I did, so come ask me about this e-book in roughly 182 days. Do not maintain your breath ready for my evaluate.)

For those who’re an avid reader like me, I am unable to consider why you would not use this extension. (I get completely no kickback for saying this.) As a lot as I really like my native library, its net interface is a ache to take care of. And as a lot as I attempt to assist impartial bookstores, I typically discover myself at Amazon as a result of… properly, you realize, it is ubiquitous. Additionally, it is easy to discover a e-book there and skim latest opinions, see the duvet, decide if I actually need to learn it. And since I am there anyway, I am completely happy to avoid wasting myself some money and choose up books from my library as a substitute of shopping for them. Pleased studying!