Book rental is not a new concept. Libraries have been lending (renting) books to the public for thousands of years. Generally in the US, public libraries are non-profit organizations, offering book lending services free to their patrons and are generally funded through taxes and donations. Private libraries usually require a subscription or membership to the library (paid or unpaid) such as university libraries.

As of late, for-profit book rental services have been popping up, lending physical books, audiobook CDs, and audiobook MP3 CDs through an online (website) interface. Most companies either send books to consumers on an à la carte basis or through a monthly subscription. Following the popular Netflix model, many book companies have applied Netflix

Netflix

Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...

's unlimited rentals, free shipping, and no late fees structure to their book distribution model, effectively creating a book rental service. Books are generally mailed to the customers and are mailed back when finished.

See also

• Simply Audiobooks
  Simply audiobooks
  Simply Audiobooks is a privately-held e-commerce company that offers audio books for rent, download and sale. Their primary product line is a subscription-based rent-by-mail model for books on CD, similar to Netflix's DVD-by-mail model. Although a Canadian company, the majority of Simply...
  
  
• Booksfree
  Booksfree
  Booksfree is an online book rental company, the first to offer flat rate rental-by-mail to customers in the United States. Established in 2000 and headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, it boasts an inventory of over 100,000 titles and more than 13,000 subscribers...
  
  
• BookSwim
  BookSwim
  BookSwim is a private American online book rental service, offering rental-by-mail of both hardcover and paperback books. The company was launched in 2007 and has grown steadily since its inception.- History :...
  
  
• Chegg
  Chegg
  Chegg or Chegg.com is an online textbook rental company in the United States based in Santa Clara, CA, which was created in 2001 by three Iowa State University students. Students rent textbooks typically by ordering online, and return books after the semester. It was founded by entrepreneurs Osman...
  
  
• Online book rental in India
  Online book rental in India
  Online book rental refers to a service wherein users rent books via the internet. Users browse books online and have their choices home-delivered, rather than physically visiting a library to borrow a book. This e-commerce model is very similar to the popular video rental service provided by the...