You've bought and collected a healthy array of ebooks for your Kindle library, either on a Kindle device or on your computer, smartphone, or tablet using the Kindle app. Now other members of the family want to read one of your ebooks. Do they have to buy their own copies? Nope, not if you create a Family Library.
By setting up a Family Library, you can swap ebooks with other family members. The Family Library allows for two adults, each with his or her own Amazon account, and up to four children. Once the library is created, you can share ebooks, and other content, with your whole family.
This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
Create an Amazon Household
Your first step is to set up an Amazon Household, after which you can create your Family Library. To kick off this process, launch your favorite browser and surf to the Amazon Households page. Click "Add adult." Then enter your Amazon username and password, if prompted.
Log In and Verify
Here, you can either type the name and email address for the adult you want to add to your Household and invite them via email, or select "Sign up together on this device." We'll try option No. 2.
Approve Payment Sharing
The screen to add an adult describes the benefits of setting up an Amazon Household, including the ability to share ebooks. Type the username and password for the adult you want to add to your Household. Then click the button to "Verify second adult's account."
Sharing Content
The next screen asks you to set up any content each adult in the family wants to share with the other. You can either turn on sharing here or manage your shared content after setup is complete. We'll wait until after the setup is complete. Click Next.
Add Children to Your Household
You're then returned to a main menu, which displays the two adults in your Amazon Household and the different options you can view and select, like adding a child to your Household. Click "Add a child" or "Add a teen."
Add a Child
Type the child’s first name, select the gender and birth date, and then click on an icon to represent the child. Click Save.
Manage Your Content and Devices
Now, you can select the content you want to share with the rest of your family. Click on the option to "Manage Your Content and Devices" and then click on the link of the same name.
Select a Book
At the screen to "Manage Your Content and Devices," click on the Actions button for a book you want to share.
Manage Family Library
At the pop-up menu, click on the link to "Manage family library."
Share a Book
At the "Manage Family Library" window, click on the name of the person with whom you want to share the book (assuming more than one other person is in your Amazon Household).
Confirm Book
The window confirms that the book has been added to that person’s library by displaying a "Remove from Library" button. You can now close the window or add the book to another person’s library.
Finalize Content Management
You can continue to share other books using the same process. Other family members can then view the shared books on the Kindle website as well as on a Kindle tablet or through the Kindle app on any computer, smartphone, or tablet.