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Amazon is finally in a lending mood.
The world’s largest online retailer is opening its popular Kindle e-reader to 11,000 libraries in the US, allowing them to provide free e-book loaners to their members.
The move by Amazon, whose Kindle is the nation’s No. 1 e-reader, joins similar moves by rivals Sony and Barnes & Noble, which already allow library lending through their Reader and Nook, respectively.
The move marks yet another disruption in the publishing business, which has been trying to maintain the value of books despite the proliferation of cheaper electronic versions.
Amazon’s service also will be available through its free Kindle app on other handheld devices, such as the iPad and Android phones, among others.
It will not be a free-for-all, however, as library card holders will still have to wait for high-demand titles. For instance, at the New York Public Library, if a member orders an e-book, others wait on a list until that digital version is free again.
That list can get awfully long. Yesterday, the most popular title at the NYPL was Harlan Coben’s mystery novel “Caught,” with more than 275 people on the waiting list.
E-books do eliminate late fees, however, as loans expire after a given timeframe — usually three weeks. The Kindle also allows readers to take digital notes.
Amazon said the library option would launch this year, but it didn’t give a precise date.
Not all publishers are on board, however. HarperCollins, which like The Post, is owned by News Corp., has set a limit of 26 for the amount of times a digital version of one of its books can be borrowed before a library has to buy a new one. Simon & Schuster and Macmillan don’t participate in library e-lending. gsloane@nypost.com