Some libraries have free downloads on current e-books, but they are allotted a limited number of downloads at a time, and you have to wait your turn as with any printed book that is in high demand. This seems weird to me, but the publishers would be crazy to allow unlimited free downloads on new books. I think a Kindle would be neat to have, but I have mixed feelings. I usually buy used books from our Friends of the Library store, which is a huge fund-raiser for the library. All the books they sell are donated, and the workers are volunteers, so the few dollars I spend on a book all go to the library. If people quit buying books this source will dry up. For people who can afford Kindles and such, the library may not be all that important these days, but there are many students and other readers for whom it might create a hardship not to have a thriving library system. Also, I dislike the fact that when you buy a Kindle book, it's not really yours in the same sense as a paper and ink book, and you can't pass it along to a friend.