libraries.book.io

The restoration of digital stewardship.

For centuries, libraries preserved civilization by owning the books they collected. In the digital era, that ownership disappeared. Book.io gives it back: buy digital books and audiobooks, own them outright, lend them like print, and keep them for good.

Talk to our library team How it works
Own every copy, permanentlyLend one copy, one loanPreserve for future generations
DeFi for Dummies, Seoyoung KimOWNED
Rookie's Regret, Gina AzziON LOAN
The Purple Cloud, M. P. ShielOWNED
An Echo in Time: AtlantisOWNED
Artificial IntelligenceON LOAN
The Three Laws of PerformanceOWNED
YOUR COLLECTION · 4,218 titles · zero license expirations, ever

Libraries were never meant to rent knowledge.

Today, libraries pay endlessly for access they do not control, cannot preserve, and can lose at any time.
The licensing model, in numbers

The sunk-cost loop.

$1.7B

spent on digital licenses by U.S. public libraries every year. Permanent ownership created: none.

24 mo

or 26 checkouts, whichever comes first. Then the license expires and the library buys the same book again.

45,000

of 87,000 titles vanished from one major library system's digital collection as licenses expired.

6×

faster growth in library ebook prices than consumer ebook prices over the same period.

A print book purchased in 1975 is still on the shelf today.
Digital collections deserve the same permanence.
Two futures

Temporary renters of culture, or permanent custodians of knowledge.

The licensing modelOwnership with Book.io
Endless payment loopMODELEquity accumulation: every dollar builds the collection
Dictated by restrictive licensesCONTROLTrue collection ownership, governed by your library
Can lose at any timePRESERVATIONPermanently preserved, verifiable at any time
Walled gardensINFRASTRUCTUREInteroperable, portable, platform-independent

"Will libraries remain temporary renters of culture, or become permanent custodians of digital knowledge once again?"

How it works

Lending that works like your print shelves.

STEP 1

Build your collection

Acquire fully licensed ebooks and audiobooks from the Book.io catalog. Every purchase is a permanent copy your library owns, with a verifiable ownership record from day one.

STEP 2

Patrons borrow

One copy, one loan, just like print. Patrons read or listen on any device through your existing library-card login. Returns are automatic on the due date.

STEP 3

The books stay yours

Loans end. Ownership does not. Your collection carries over year after year, survives any platform, and can be audited by your board at any time.

What your library gains

Every benefit comes back to one word: ownership.

BUDGET

Buy once. Own forever.

No 24-month clock, no checkout meter, no re-purchasing the same title. Your annual budget grows the collection instead of re-renting last year's.

COLLECTION

Never lose a title again

Nothing expires and nothing vanishes. The collection you build this year is still on the shelf in ten, exactly like your print stacks.

STEWARDSHIP

An asset on the books

Owned copies are institutional property: auditable by your board, transferable if your community's needs change, and resellable like a print collection.

PATRONS

Simple for readers

Patrons borrow with the library card they already have and read or listen on any device. One copy, one loan, automatic returns.

INDEPENDENCE

Leave anytime. Keep everything.

Your collection is not locked inside anyone's platform, including ours. If you ever walk away, the books walk with you.

COMMUNITY

Share beyond your walls

Lend digital content without losing stewardship, share titles with other libraries worldwide, and preserve collections permanently for the readers who come after.

The technology, in one line: digital ownership, not licensing.

Your library buys digital books and owns them, the same way it owns print. That is the whole idea. We handle the rest.
Questions libraries ask

The practical part.

Do patrons need anything special?

No. Patrons borrow with your existing library-card login and read or listen in the Book.io reader on any device or browser. Nothing to install on your side.

How does this fit our budget process?

Purchases are one-time acquisitions, like print. Your annual budget grows the collection instead of re-renting last year's, and every dollar becomes a balance-sheet asset instead of a recurring fee.

What about publishers and authors?

Every title is fully licensed. Publishers retain their intellectual property and are paid on every sale. Ownership for libraries does not come at authors' expense.

How is ownership verified?

Every copy carries a permanent, independently verifiable ownership record. Your auditors, your board, and your successors can confirm exactly what the library owns at any time, on any platform.

Get started

Run a pilot with your collection team.

We will set your library up with a starter collection, walk your team through lending and reporting, and put real numbers against your current licensing spend.

Request a pilot Talk to our library team
LIBRARIES.BOOK.IO
EBOOKS · AUDIOBOOKS
OWNED, NOT LICENSED
ONE COPY · ONE LOAN
PILOT PROGRAMS OPEN
Ecosystem investors in Book.io
Ingram Content Group
Ingram Content Group
The world's largest distributor of physical and digital books
BDMI
Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments
Venture arm of Bertelsmann, parent company of Penguin Random House
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Entrepreneur and investor
Charles Hoskinson
Charles Hoskinson
Co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain
MARK CUBAN PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE · CC BY-SA 2.0