Amazon rival Bookshop.org says support for the Kobo e-reader will happen this year after all

If you’re looking for an e-reader that allows you to purchase expensive bestsellers from local independent bookstores, your search will inevitably direct you to Rakuten’s Kobo e-reader. But, as it turns out, that reputation is largely based on outdated methods for purchasing Kobo books, including signing up for a Kobo account from bookstore websites.

While there are a few independent bookstores around the country that still support Kobo through this website method, most of that type of support ended years ago. I’ve found it impossible to purchase eBooks for my recently purchased Kobo from any of my beloved local bookstores.

I want to support these libraries, and I don’t want to own a physical copy of every book I read. I also want to use an e-reader instead of an Android or iOS app on a phone or tablet because e-readers offer long battery life, digital ink, and low-glare screens. These things allow me to read comfortably for hours, even outdoors, as if I were reading a paper book.

One solution for Kobo owners, which they originally promised for 2025, was to partner with… Bookshop.organ Amazon competitor that subsidizes local bookstores with every order. Bookshop.org currently offers eBooks through its mobile app for iOS and Android.

Which partnership It was initially promised for 2025 and beyond delay Until 2026, and for a brief period earlier this year, it looked like it would be delayed indefinitely.

After Bookshop.org changed the wording on its webpage indicating Kobo support, the “2026” was removed. Replace it with “sometime in the future”, I reached out for a status update.

Bookshop.org founder and CEO Andy Hunter told me in an email response that progress has now been made with Kobo. The webpage has been updated, again saying that support is expected to be rolled out “later this year.”

“Kobo integration is something both Kobo and Bookshop.org want to achieve,” Hunter said.

He explained that the delay was on the business and engineering side to ensure “it was done in a way that respected the publisher’s DRM requirements. It took us some time to formulate the business terms and allocate the necessary engineering resources.”

Hunter, whose company also competes with Amazon by selling paper books, says his engineers focused on improving the mobile app, which launched about 15 months ago.

They are now turning their attention to supporting Kobo, although the timing remains unclear. “We recently agreed terms of business with Kobo, and we are confident that the collaboration will happen, but we cannot promise a specific launch date until engineering work continues,” Hunter said.

Obviously, whether Bookshop.org figures out Kobo support or not, Kobo users won’t have to buy all their books from Japan-based e-commerce giant Rakuten. Kobo users can read a large selection of DRM-free books on their readers, and a large selection (although not all) of Library books provided through Overdrive. Independent e-book store Books.com It also offers DRM-protected books in a format supported by Kobo.

Another solution, if your goal is to support local libraries by purchasing eBooks, is to use a different eReader. An Android reader like Boox or Meebook that supports the Google Play app store should be able to download the Bookshop.org app, the bookseller. He says.

However, like countless other Kobo owners, I’m all for the integration with Bookshop.org. Supporting local independent bookstores was my main motivation for purchasing this particular e-reader, which was misled by my online research (and confident advice from ChatGPT).

Now that I own the Kobo Libra Color, I really like the readability screen, quick response, and long battery life. I also continue to hold onto my six-year-old Kindle for the same reasons.

But I also love small, local bookstores with personal recommendations, support of local authors, and a great love of books. Hopefully, the best e-commerce site that supports local stores, Bookshop.org, will soon support the popular Kobo device, which claims to have 12 million users in 190 countries.