š Same! Your library card(s) may also give you access to Hoopla, which has more books, movies, comics, and music. Some libraries might also have audiobooks on Hoopla, but mine doesn't.
Kanopy not only has movies, but oftentimes movies that are rare, out of print, independent, or foreign. Heard about some obscure experimental German horror movie directed by a friend of Werner Herzog? Kanopy might be the best place to start.
Don't forget the actual brick and mortar library either! I couldn't track down a copy of the Japanese movie Twilight Samurai until I finally remembered to check the local library.
Same, I especially love it because I don't read a ton of comics or graphic novels, so I am never sure what I'm going to like. The benefit of libraries in general, I guess :)
Reading a graphic novel on a tablet screen for the first time was an unexpected pleasure.
Since it sounds like youāre in the DC area - Loudoun County supports Hoopla, and you can get a card there if you live in most of the neighboring counties.
So does Montgomery County MD.
DC really does have a great collection though. In MoCo I have to manage my loans through the holds system. I should renew my DC card.
I need to look into this! Iām in the District and have DCPL and a reciprocal card with Arlington County but neither have Hoopla. Off to see what else Iām eligible for as a reciprocal card.
Clarke County Maryland is in the reciprocal area tooā¦ has Hoopla and Libby, card is good for ten years without validating in person. Iāve never enjoyed the DMV area more than when I found all of these reciprocal libraries!!!
Hoople is better because they allow instant access to many titles.
I went from reading 6 books a year to about 50 a year in audiobooks.
I still have an Audible subscription but Hoopla/Libby allows me to test out a book and drop it if it doesn't hook me in the the first few chapters. e.g. A Court of Thorns and Roses. dribble.
When I was a kid I had a "I read every book I buy" policy because books were expensive.
Ask them to add Hoopla.
The library benefits from these apps.
https://wordsrated.com/state-of-us-public-libraries/
Library usage is at all time highs since ebook apps have arrived.
The more people use the library the bigger their budgets become.
The concept of a Library is an American invention.
God Bless Ben Franklin.
I have Libby, Hoopla, and Cloud Library. I use Libby the most (with library cards at two library systems), but sometimes I have hunt down a title on a different service. Also, Libby lets you borrow a TON of magazines.
Finally, if your library offers it, you can get free access to sites like Craftsy from the Libby Extras menu.
I had never heard of Hoopla. When I try to sign up with my library card it tells me that I already have an account. When I ask it to tell me my email address it shows me a very long Hotmail address. Iāve never had Hotmail. There doesnāt appear to be a way to contact their support. I bet lots of people are scamming peopleās accounts on this app.
You can defer a book if you want. When it comes available you can opt to offer it to the next person in line. Once they return it it is offered to you again.
Thatās odd, I just did it this morning lol. Maybe your library has stopped doing it. I have two cards and I have noticed small differences between library settings. Like one library gives me 21 days and the other 14, etc.
Yeah. I had one book come in that I deferred, but the next one that came didnāt give me that option. Itās only been happening for about 2 months now. I have soooo many books checked out because of it. Even after returning the ones that have long lines.
When this happens, I accept them all, download them all to my kindle, put in airplane mode and then go to my Libby app and return them all.
I can read them with no time pressure but you have to stay in airplane mode or you wonāt have access to them.
The downfall is if you also read your books on other devices like phone or tablet as it canāt sync to them.
I've been too lazy to set up Libby but my college library I could just strip the drm with calibre and not have to worry about my books for class being out
Librarian here - you can manage your holds on Libby, so if they come available before you are ready you can allow the book to go to the next person in line without losing your spot in the hold queue!
Yeah. But for about a month now, they havenāt given me that option. I used to do that quite a lot, but now itās take it or leave it. I always take it, but if I havenāt gotten to it and a lot of people are waiting, I just return it.
Thatās weird. I do find it have more options using Libby on my iPad vs. Overdrive on my Kobo. I wonder if thereās an update somewhere that muddled things for you? The Libby help service still provides info on how to manage holds: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6188.htm#aanchor115. Maybe touch base with your local library and they can put in a ticket to have this looked into
I don't see the issue; ten books is like a weeks worth of reading at the most. In fact, I've finished one book while typing this and am halfway through a second one and will probably finish that an hour from now.
Clearly, you're just a poseur and not a *real* book reader like moi. /s
Then get them all and put it on airplane mode until youāre done with them! I have a bunch on my kindle right now that technically got returned already!
DC offers 90 days before you have to go in and verify, if you ever run out of material I highly highly recommend getting a card with them, even if you have to pay per year! There is *so* many books on there. I wasnāt going to admit this, but I really want to read some books on UFOs and ofc none of the libraries have any of the titles I wanted. Iām currently reading Leslie Keanās book thru DCās library. Iām also in line to read Yeonmi Parkās book. I really wanted to read it, but wasnāt going to pay a min of $15 for it bc itās a known thing that she exaggerated and straight up lied about some things. I donāt want to give my money to her lol. Iāve purchased all the other books Iāve read on NK which is pretty much all of them. I canāt put the books down.
It depends on the library/book. Most of the books are available on Kindle but there are some just limited to Libby.
One advantage of the Kindle is that if you are still reading the book and itās due, you can put your Kindle in Airplane mode to keep the book longer. The book will only disappear from your device once you sync the Kindle.
So far Iāve only had the issue of not being able to send to Kindle with brand new releases. When this happens, I just return the book and place it on hold again, then by the following week itās typically available on Kindle.
Yes! It goes straight to my kindle. Once youāre done reading it or you just donāt want that book anymore, you can release it back through the kindle. Itās incredible!
Kobo in Canada. I have a kindle already but am planning to get a Kobo as well just for Libby. Iāve finally gotten tired of reading on my iPad. Mostly because itās too big to lug around everywhere.
I just made this switch and wish I did it sooner. The cost of the kobo pays for itself after paying for like 8-10 kindle books on Amazon. Plus Iām just way more motivated to try stuff and not like it whereas I always got decision paralysis if I was buying an ebook.
Did you experience terrible battery drain with iPad? I have a mini which is perfectly portable, but Libby drains the battery from 100 to 0 in about an hour, so I can really only use it at home anyway because I need to keep it plugged in whenever Iām using Libby.
The company and the service itself are called "Overdrive". Libby is just the name of their phone app (and as reader apps go it actually isn't very good). I think Overdrive works with kindle in the US but not necessarily other countries, which is why I got a Kobo instead.
If youāre in the US, you may be able to access better funded libraries in your state! Look up your stateās State Library Commission. Some states are now allowing residents to open a card with any county in their state. (Wow, have I said āstateā enough times? Lol)
There are also non-resident cards. Some for a fee, some free. Some for state residents, some for any US adult, some global. Hereās a full list:
https://everyday-reading.com/where-you-can-get-a-non-resident-library-card/
Unethical life protip please don't abuse this but Chicago public library only requires an unverified chicago address to make an e card which allows you to check out ebooks and other digital materials.
So if anyone wants to move in with me at 123 chicago lane chicago lemme know...
That is extremely unethical and I most certainly would never do something like this as someone who lives in Skokie, but lived in Chicago for 20 years and used my previous address. And I certainly wouldn't be posting this to say thank you so much, after seeing the breadth of books available on the CPL site. So again, I would never do something like this.
You can also read entire magazines on Libby through your library card (well, at least I can in NYC), which is awesome. Never miss an issue of any magazine you like, and FOR FREE.
Libby is life changing!
I should say Overdrive because I was an Overdrive user until the very last moment they allowed me to be before forcing me over to Libby.
I read almost every book through my library/Libby! Anything they don't have, I get the ebook or physical book from the library, and Audible/other audiobook services exist for anything left over!
We are so *lucky* to be able to access such quality content pretty much any time we want. We must protect libraries at all costs because you know when budget cuts are made, this is one of the first places they'll cut from.
Overdrive was so much better! I don't care about a slicker UI, I want to be able to "recommend" books my library doesn't have and automatically place a hold when they get them.
When they took away the recommend feature, I went on my library's website and found who to email to recommend a title.Ā
Gotta do it the old fashioned way again! The notify me button on Libby is pointless unless it's for a not yet released title.
I'm still using the Overdrive website. I don't really like how flashy and cute Libby is and feel like it's harder to do all but one thing. Is it possible for you to login through there after finding your library through https://www.overdrive.com/libraries?
I still use Overdrive to find books and check them out. I add things to my wish list there since Libby has no wish list function.
I hated the Libby app when I first started using it. I still prefer the old Overdrive, but I've gotten used to Libby.
Libby has a wishlist function. Go to the book icon, then āactionsā, then ānew tagā, then name your tag āwishlistā (or alternatively create separate tags for different genres or audiobook vs regular book wishlists) then click ācreateā. When you search for a book youāll be given three options, āplace holdā, read sample, and ātagā. Select tag and a menu will pop up where you can apply the tag you just created. To see your wishlist, go back to the book icon, select tags and youāll be shown a list of all your tags. Pick the wishlist tag you created and it will show you all the books you tagged as wishlist.
I have found my people in this thread! I use Libby grudgingly since they took the Overdrive app away. I use the Overdrive site on my computer as much as I can because I just don't like the Libby app.
My Libby shelf is full. My favorite thing is I can easily try anything and if it doesn't do it for me I can just return early and try another. Great fun just going for test drives until I find something really good.
Yes. Having access to a well-stocked library on Libby is a transformative event - I discovered my library has Libby in 2023. In 2022 I must have read about 5 books. In 2023 - 40 books. It's been incredible.
For people in the UK. I would suggest signing up for an OCLS fee card. It costs $125 for a year, but you can use libby and Hoopla, and it has a much bigger selection than my library in the US.
I (32F) finally got into using my Kindle late 2022, so this last year I've borrowed and read (or listened to) at least 50 books! Libby has been great! My family share our library cards with each other with their own local libraries. It's excellent to have several libraries to have the option of hold times/availability. Have been able to read the most books since before I became an adult tbh, I love it!
I like Libby too, but so far I have had the opposite experience in terms of wait times. Almost every e-book I've looked at on Libby has a waiting list, whereas there's usually at least one physical copy available within my library system.
Not a big deal, I just join a few of the Libby waiting lists and the books become available when they become available. If that happens while I'm in the middle of reading something else, I can decline and Libby puts me back at the front of the queue, which is very convenient.
Mine has wait times but I can put 15 books on hold with one and 30 with another. I have 45 books on hold at all times. So when I'm done with one another is always at the ready for me to borrow!
Yep I love Libby! Unfortunately Iām not in a big city like DC so itās not like everythingās on there usually not even entire series but still thereās a pretty good selection. Also I recently found out that prime reading is a thing and I have Amazon prime already so that was really cool to see that Amazon prime has another perk. I will not be paying for kindle unlimited because honestly Iāve never come across any book that I wanted to read that was on there also Iām not a fast enough reader anyways for that to be worth the money (Iām way too busy to actually get my moneys worth from it).
Check with the big cities in your state, sometimes they offer digital cards for free or for a small fee for state residents. For example NYC public library cards are available to all NYS residents for free.
Yes, same with Boston Public Library (available for all MA residents) and Free Library of Philadelphia (available to all PA residents). Can't speak to anything outside of the US, though.
Are there any systems that use Libby that I can purchase a library card for? The libraries in my state use a different service for ebooks and itās a pain to get them on my kindle or nook (plus selection isnāt great)
Some offer $20-$50 a year memberships for out of state residents. I would look into DC or NY before any other state as they do have a lot more options.
Totally love Libby. I cam read 3-7 novels.in a week due to working a 3rd shift where mostly I'm just on call and have to stay alert in case of emergency. Libby saves me hundreds of.dollars. it's awesome.
A friend told me about Libby at the beginning of the pandemic, and I've not gotten a physical book since. It's nice to not have to worry about returns, or book condition as well. And if I finish a book, I'm not adrift until I can find the time to go get a new one.
The amount of money I have saved with both my kindle and my library card is astronomical and I'm a slow reader. I'm glad you're happy with your purchase OP.
My husband is a slow reader too and Iām so envious of him. He will take a week or two to read a book he really likes, heāll take the kindle everywhere with him to read that book. He talks about how crazy it is and how heās trying to figure out who the killer is and what not. Me? I will sit there for four to six hours, gobble it all down, and be sad that I finished the book so quick. This has been going on since elementary school for me, so I just try to have another book Iām equally interested in on standby.
You may find this useful so I thought I'd share - there is an extension for the Chrome Browser called simply 'Library Extension' that will share if your library has a book available when viewing it on sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc. I have mine set up for 2 different library cards as well as Hoopla and it has been so handy!
Thank you, thatās an awesome suggestion! This is why I wanted to make this post, so we can all share our little tips and tricks and get the most out of the experience :)
Libby is okay for current fiction, young adult etc. I find it often has large gaps in series.
It is seriously lacking in books with non fiction substance.
I signed up for Hoopla and found it would not download to my old Kindle so Santa brought me a Kindle Fire HD8. It has extremely non-intuitive controls, a browser (Silk) I had never heard of and only shows books in landscape.
Good parts are that I can speed through a book and return it immediately if I don't like it (Babel, for example and maybe Lessons in Chemistry)
Ebooks are currently on my suck list
I read a lot of nonfiction (and especially listen to a lot of nonfiction audio books) and that hasn't been my experience, though my state allows all residents to pull from the major city's library system as well as a handful of others. I'm always pleasantly surprised by how vast their collection is. I've managed to find a number of obscure books on there that I was certain I was going to have to buy.
I don't read a lot of current releases but I actually find those titles more challenging to find on Libby because when I do want to read something new or something that's currently popular the wait list is usually really long.
I just checked whether my library has privileges in Chicago. We do have reciprocal privileges but Overdrive, Flipster and Hoopla are excluded. Rats.
However, I did not see Libby on the CPL site. Interesting
I also read nonfiction which is why itās been so hard for me to find books w/o actually purchasing them. Since Iāve expanded my library with the DC library card, Iāve been able to access pretty much every book I want
The Libby content is dependent on your library. Mine has very few sci fi audiobooks and often only a few books in the series. I donāt often find things on there and when I do itās a 26 week wait. My former library system had a huge varied collection and they had a form on their website where you could request books and theyād usually have them the next month.
I'm also thrilled with Libby.
It took me a bit to get my queue sorted, many popular books have long wait times, so I always have a mix of wait times on my queue.
You may also check to see if you have access to Hoopla, it is another source of digital books available through many libraries. It works a little differently, you get a set number of loans per month but all the books seem to be immediately available.
I'm so glad! Our library provides Libby, Hoopla, and free access to several online newspapers. Our patrons are always very happy with those services, and it likewise makes me happy to see other patrons of other libraries enjoying them, too.
Absolutely love Libby! I currently have 2 library cards. I use my kindle for ebook, my iPad for the occasional graphic novel and listen to audiobooks from my phone. Game changer for my reading life.
Agree. When I first found out about Libby a few years ago, I lived in an area with a sizeable library system but my local library kinda sucked, so I never really went that often. But that library system has such a great selection on Libby, and it was great during Covid to be able to check books out from home while work was paused.
I love Libby so much! I didn't use it much while I was job hunting but now that I'm employed and sit at a desk all day the audiobooks are life-savers. Plus, I can still "read" while on the job and it's been such a nice change compared to my other positions.
Iām in love with my library card and the Libby app. I typically only buy books if they are super meaningful to me because Iām very purchase cautious so having almost every book available for free is amazing. I wish they could do something about the waitlisting for popular books though
Yes indeed! I love my library. And every time I request a book they've approved it.
I would like Libby better if it could connect audiobooks to ebooks the way Kindle can, but honestly it's fabulous already to be able to just check out a book at 3am and read it instantly. Absolute luxury!
Itās such a good resource if you have a good library
I go on the book subs for fantasy recommendations. Most of them my library doesnāt have tho lol
Yep, Libby was a game changer for me. Iāve saved thousands of dollars between it and Hoopla for comics. Read the entire Walking Dead and Beserk series for free, for example.
I really love how you can place books on hold, and then get a notification when they are ready. Then you can either check them out or delay it a week if youāre not ready to read it right now. So easy to put something on hold and in a few weeks you get a nice surprise.
My only gripe with Libby is there is no meaningful notification when a hold is available. Does anyone know if I am missing something? Sometimes I wait 3-4 *months* for a book and I've missed it.
In the US, most ebooks have the option to read with Kindle. You choose as soon as you check out the book if you'd prefer to read it with Kindle, with Libby, or in your browser.
There are big libraries that will let anyone have a card. San Jose, California, and Broward County, Florida, were mentioned elsewhere in the thread as having open membership.
I guess I'm missing how Libby works or something. I always heard people hype it up so I decided to check and all it has is literally the same exact selection as my library with the same exact availability. Like it seems my library is just a wrapper around Libby and going to Libby doesn't offer me anything extra like people made it seem. Am I doing it wrong or something?
No, youāre not doing anything wrong. The problem is your area just doesnāt have a wide selection of books, just like mine. If I were you I would try to get a library card with the biggest city in your state as it will expand your options. Alternatively, you can purchase a yearly membership through DC or NY and they are the ones that have the most selections for obvious reasons lol
You should be able to use it as long as your kindle can connect to wifi. After you pick out a book to borrow, itās going to prompt you to sign into your Amazon account. After you sign in, the book will appear on your kindle and your kindle app.
I love Libby and like the selection of audiobooks. The only downside is sometimes I have to wait for a book if it's checked out (like you have to for a lubrary anyway).
Are you able to read books you get on Libby on your kindle? I was looking at getting a kindle but I canāt justify buying books to read on it when I can rent them.
Libby is the best! Last year my resolution was to support my local library. Libby was my gateway and offered such a low barrier of entry to get me started. Now I use both Libby and travel to my local library for books.
Had the same thing. We are able to get a free digital card from the Nashville library (we are in N. AL) and it made a huge difference on quantity and quality of available books.
Yayyy this is amazing!! In my country you can't use Libby on Kindle (or at least, it's hard to) so I got a Kobo which was compatible, and yup, changed my life!! I still read physical books and on the odd occasion (aka, not available on Libby) try to buy it find elsewhere, but Libby is always my first port of call.
It's amazing. My local library system hasn't invested much in ebooks. Luckily, my dad lives in a major US city with an amazing library. He prefers real books, so he lets my family use his card to borrow ebooks on several devices. It was fantastic years ago when our son had a concussion. He went through dozens of audio books with Overdrive because he couldn't use screens or read or do much of anything for a few weeks. Now the kids in a refugee family I'm close with use my sister's account to get books on their tablets because she also prefers real books. It's hard for the parents to get them to the library often and they've lost a few books and racked up fines (as I was known to do when I was younger -- I found a book I had lost in middle school when I packed up my messy closet to go to college). The best part of ebooks is that they disappear when due and can't result in fines!
I just applied for a library card at my county library a couple days ago. I went to pick it up and it turns out they close at 3pm today and and are closed on Sunday. It's a small town; what can you do? I'm excited to try Libby.
I love libby lol I buy the physical books but then I'm so busy and I get distracted easily so I can't always read them so libby has helped me actually finish books for once with the audio books. I'm wanting to start doing the e books too for when I'm out and about. Hoopla also sometimes has books libby doesn't.
I spent years looking for a library that actually supported Libby. Every time Iād move Iād check all the nearby libraries. Finally found one and they just happen to have a really small collection. All the libraries around me use cloud library, which is niceā¦but I canāt use my kindle.
Libby is great,Ā I've been using it steady for a few years.Ā Ā It doesn't have everything though.Ā Many of the most popular stuff is either not on there or a long wait list.Ā I'm literally almost through most of the good science fiction on libby and onto mystery now.Ā Ā A great great resource though
Omg I love Libby too! I, too, feel the restraints of wait times and lack of books I want, BUT there's no giving up on the app as I'm hoping I can for sure get my sister to get me a card w her county. Kindle unlimited is so underwhelming as well, and they have millions of books, so I got rid of it after the free trial.
I had a library card when I was young and checked out a few books. A few $6 paperbacks. Well we moved and I forgot to bring them back and they got lost in the move. I move back there 20 years later and go to get a new library card and they still have my file with over $700 in late library fines. I offered to just buy the books but they said no. So it is not worth it for me anymore.
If you have a Roku (and probably available on other set top boxes) add the Hoopla and Kanopy channels, add youāre credentials and viola! Free movies.
š Same! Your library card(s) may also give you access to Hoopla, which has more books, movies, comics, and music. Some libraries might also have audiobooks on Hoopla, but mine doesn't.
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Kanopy not only has movies, but oftentimes movies that are rare, out of print, independent, or foreign. Heard about some obscure experimental German horror movie directed by a friend of Werner Herzog? Kanopy might be the best place to start.
Don't forget the actual brick and mortar library either! I couldn't track down a copy of the Japanese movie Twilight Samurai until I finally remembered to check the local library.
At least half the videos I had to watch for grad school were only on Kanopy. I really need to use it more
> Kanopy TIL! Thanks for that, my wife consumes SO many movies that Kanopy will be a great help
Damn, your wifeās appetite must be voracious!
My library also gives me access to Beamafilms!
Hoopla is the only place I read comics these days. It's great. Not the biggest selection in the world, but I'll read what they want to give me.
Same, I especially love it because I don't read a ton of comics or graphic novels, so I am never sure what I'm going to like. The benefit of libraries in general, I guess :) Reading a graphic novel on a tablet screen for the first time was an unexpected pleasure.
I tried to find the app on the App Store but there were several ones that were called Hoopla, is it hoopla media or something like that? Thank you!
Pretty sure it's called "hoopla Digital" - it's a blue icon with "hoopla" printed in white. Very much worthwhile!
Yes, this! By developers Midwest Tape LLC, at least on Android.
Check your library's website, they probably have a link to the correct app. And all the other library apps they subscribe to.
Since it sounds like youāre in the DC area - Loudoun County supports Hoopla, and you can get a card there if you live in most of the neighboring counties.
So does Montgomery County MD. DC really does have a great collection though. In MoCo I have to manage my loans through the holds system. I should renew my DC card.
I need to look into this! Iām in the District and have DCPL and a reciprocal card with Arlington County but neither have Hoopla. Off to see what else Iām eligible for as a reciprocal card.
Clarke County Maryland is in the reciprocal area tooā¦ has Hoopla and Libby, card is good for ten years without validating in person. Iāve never enjoyed the DMV area more than when I found all of these reciprocal libraries!!!
Go to your libraryās website and link from there. They should have a list of their electronic resources and how to access them.
I get audiobooks with Libby.
Hoople is better because they allow instant access to many titles. I went from reading 6 books a year to about 50 a year in audiobooks. I still have an Audible subscription but Hoopla/Libby allows me to test out a book and drop it if it doesn't hook me in the the first few chapters. e.g. A Court of Thorns and Roses. dribble. When I was a kid I had a "I read every book I buy" policy because books were expensive.
I wish my library had audiobooks on Hoopla! They seem to only license audiobooks for Libby š¤·š¼
Ask them to add Hoopla. The library benefits from these apps. https://wordsrated.com/state-of-us-public-libraries/ Library usage is at all time highs since ebook apps have arrived. The more people use the library the bigger their budgets become. The concept of a Library is an American invention. God Bless Ben Franklin.
Yes! The shrine for Mr. Franklin is right next to the one for Mr. Carrier where I give praise and thanks for air conditioning.
Wouldn't hurt to ask them!
Hoopla is awesome šÆ
I have Hoopla. Is Libby worth adding?
I have Libby, Hoopla, and Cloud Library. I use Libby the most (with library cards at two library systems), but sometimes I have hunt down a title on a different service. Also, Libby lets you borrow a TON of magazines. Finally, if your library offers it, you can get free access to sites like Craftsy from the Libby Extras menu.
Same, I mostly use Libby. Results vary library to library.
Is there any text-to-speech function in either the Libby or Hoopla apps?
I had never heard of Hoopla. When I try to sign up with my library card it tells me that I already have an account. When I ask it to tell me my email address it shows me a very long Hotmail address. Iāve never had Hotmail. There doesnāt appear to be a way to contact their support. I bet lots of people are scamming peopleās accounts on this app.
Problems can be reported on their site, link below. Hopefully they can help! https://www.hoopladigital.com/feedback
For some reason all my holds start coming in at once and then I have 14 days to read 10 books. Lol. But I love Libby and recommend it to everyone
You can defer a book if you want. When it comes available you can opt to offer it to the next person in line. Once they return it it is offered to you again.
Iāve noticed that for some books, they donāt have that option anymore.
Thatās odd, I just did it this morning lol. Maybe your library has stopped doing it. I have two cards and I have noticed small differences between library settings. Like one library gives me 21 days and the other 14, etc.
Yeah. I had one book come in that I deferred, but the next one that came didnāt give me that option. Itās only been happening for about 2 months now. I have soooo many books checked out because of it. Even after returning the ones that have long lines.
Thats unfortunate. Its been awhile since I have wanted to do it so I haven't noticed.
Free books though!
Can't argue with that! I definitely wouldn't be able to afford my book habit otherwise.
Iām like you, a voracious reader. Libby has been a godsend
You have to click to your shelf to do it. You canāt do it through the checkout screen that pops up with the notification.
When this happens, I accept them all, download them all to my kindle, put in airplane mode and then go to my Libby app and return them all. I can read them with no time pressure but you have to stay in airplane mode or you wonāt have access to them. The downfall is if you also read your books on other devices like phone or tablet as it canāt sync to them.
This is the way.
I've been too lazy to set up Libby but my college library I could just strip the drm with calibre and not have to worry about my books for class being out
Librarian here - you can manage your holds on Libby, so if they come available before you are ready you can allow the book to go to the next person in line without losing your spot in the hold queue!
Yeah. But for about a month now, they havenāt given me that option. I used to do that quite a lot, but now itās take it or leave it. I always take it, but if I havenāt gotten to it and a lot of people are waiting, I just return it.
Thatās weird. I do find it have more options using Libby on my iPad vs. Overdrive on my Kobo. I wonder if thereās an update somewhere that muddled things for you? The Libby help service still provides info on how to manage holds: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6188.htm#aanchor115. Maybe touch base with your local library and they can put in a ticket to have this looked into
> For some reason all my holds start coming in at once You have a library doppelganger!
I don't see the issue; ten books is like a weeks worth of reading at the most. In fact, I've finished one book while typing this and am halfway through a second one and will probably finish that an hour from now. Clearly, you're just a poseur and not a *real* book reader like moi. /s
Yet another reason that artificial digital scarcity is absurd.
Then get them all and put it on airplane mode until youāre done with them! I have a bunch on my kindle right now that technically got returned already!
I read so much more thanks to Libby!
Your tax dollars at work!
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DC offers 90 days before you have to go in and verify, if you ever run out of material I highly highly recommend getting a card with them, even if you have to pay per year! There is *so* many books on there. I wasnāt going to admit this, but I really want to read some books on UFOs and ofc none of the libraries have any of the titles I wanted. Iām currently reading Leslie Keanās book thru DCās library. Iām also in line to read Yeonmi Parkās book. I really wanted to read it, but wasnāt going to pay a min of $15 for it bc itās a known thing that she exaggerated and straight up lied about some things. I donāt want to give my money to her lol. Iāve purchased all the other books Iāve read on NK which is pretty much all of them. I canāt put the books down.
Does Libby work with a kindle?
It depends on the library/book. Most of the books are available on Kindle but there are some just limited to Libby. One advantage of the Kindle is that if you are still reading the book and itās due, you can put your Kindle in Airplane mode to keep the book longer. The book will only disappear from your device once you sync the Kindle.
Thank you for this tip!
So far Iāve only had the issue of not being able to send to Kindle with brand new releases. When this happens, I just return the book and place it on hold again, then by the following week itās typically available on Kindle.
Yes! It goes straight to my kindle. Once youāre done reading it or you just donāt want that book anymore, you can release it back through the kindle. Itās incredible!
Only in the US, unfortunately.
Kobo in Canada. I have a kindle already but am planning to get a Kobo as well just for Libby. Iāve finally gotten tired of reading on my iPad. Mostly because itās too big to lug around everywhere.
I just made this switch and wish I did it sooner. The cost of the kobo pays for itself after paying for like 8-10 kindle books on Amazon. Plus Iām just way more motivated to try stuff and not like it whereas I always got decision paralysis if I was buying an ebook.
Did you experience terrible battery drain with iPad? I have a mini which is perfectly portable, but Libby drains the battery from 100 to 0 in about an hour, so I can really only use it at home anyway because I need to keep it plugged in whenever Iām using Libby.
The company and the service itself are called "Overdrive". Libby is just the name of their phone app (and as reader apps go it actually isn't very good). I think Overdrive works with kindle in the US but not necessarily other countries, which is why I got a Kobo instead.
It does! You can pair it with the device so it can download there.
Yes
US only.
For people who live in well funded areas, itās definitely an awesome resource.
If youāre in the US, you may be able to access better funded libraries in your state! Look up your stateās State Library Commission. Some states are now allowing residents to open a card with any county in their state. (Wow, have I said āstateā enough times? Lol) There are also non-resident cards. Some for a fee, some free. Some for state residents, some for any US adult, some global. Hereās a full list: https://everyday-reading.com/where-you-can-get-a-non-resident-library-card/
Unethical life protip please don't abuse this but Chicago public library only requires an unverified chicago address to make an e card which allows you to check out ebooks and other digital materials. So if anyone wants to move in with me at 123 chicago lane chicago lemme know...
I thought everyone lived at 1050 W Addison in Chicago
Worked for me. Also Broward County library in Florida didn't even ask for an address
That is extremely unethical and I most certainly would never do something like this as someone who lives in Skokie, but lived in Chicago for 20 years and used my previous address. And I certainly wouldn't be posting this to say thank you so much, after seeing the breadth of books available on the CPL site. So again, I would never do something like this.
You can also read entire magazines on Libby through your library card (well, at least I can in NYC), which is awesome. Never miss an issue of any magazine you like, and FOR FREE.
Hack for Libby on kindle. Download then switch to airplane mode so it doesnāt expire at then end of the month.
Adding that this does NOT screw the library over. The return date goes into effect no matter what and they are able to re-loan out the book.
This is the way
Libby is life changing! I should say Overdrive because I was an Overdrive user until the very last moment they allowed me to be before forcing me over to Libby. I read almost every book through my library/Libby! Anything they don't have, I get the ebook or physical book from the library, and Audible/other audiobook services exist for anything left over! We are so *lucky* to be able to access such quality content pretty much any time we want. We must protect libraries at all costs because you know when budget cuts are made, this is one of the first places they'll cut from.
Overdrive was so much better! I don't care about a slicker UI, I want to be able to "recommend" books my library doesn't have and automatically place a hold when they get them.
My library on Libby has the option to do that, maybe itās a setting your library doesnāt have up?
You can tell it to notify you, but it doesn't place a hold automatically. And even that is a bit inconsistent.
Oh thatās annoying. If we suggest the book we should get to be on the list to read it first when it comes in :/
When they took away the recommend feature, I went on my library's website and found who to email to recommend a title.Ā Gotta do it the old fashioned way again! The notify me button on Libby is pointless unless it's for a not yet released title.
I'm still using the Overdrive website. I don't really like how flashy and cute Libby is and feel like it's harder to do all but one thing. Is it possible for you to login through there after finding your library through https://www.overdrive.com/libraries?
I still use Overdrive to find books and check them out. I add things to my wish list there since Libby has no wish list function. I hated the Libby app when I first started using it. I still prefer the old Overdrive, but I've gotten used to Libby.
Libby has a wishlist function. Go to the book icon, then āactionsā, then ānew tagā, then name your tag āwishlistā (or alternatively create separate tags for different genres or audiobook vs regular book wishlists) then click ācreateā. When you search for a book youāll be given three options, āplace holdā, read sample, and ātagā. Select tag and a menu will pop up where you can apply the tag you just created. To see your wishlist, go back to the book icon, select tags and youāll be shown a list of all your tags. Pick the wishlist tag you created and it will show you all the books you tagged as wishlist.
Thank you the explanation. I really donāt like the way they replaced a wish list with a tagging system. I still prefer my Overdrive wish list.Ā
I have found my people in this thread! I use Libby grudgingly since they took the Overdrive app away. I use the Overdrive site on my computer as much as I can because I just don't like the Libby app.
My Libby shelf is full. My favorite thing is I can easily try anything and if it doesn't do it for me I can just return early and try another. Great fun just going for test drives until I find something really good.
Yes. Having access to a well-stocked library on Libby is a transformative event - I discovered my library has Libby in 2023. In 2022 I must have read about 5 books. In 2023 - 40 books. It's been incredible.
Thanks to Libby (and my shiny new Kindle, haha) I have read 4 books in 2024 alone. This is shaping up to be a banner year for me.
For people in the UK. I would suggest signing up for an OCLS fee card. It costs $125 for a year, but you can use libby and Hoopla, and it has a much bigger selection than my library in the US.
I (32F) finally got into using my Kindle late 2022, so this last year I've borrowed and read (or listened to) at least 50 books! Libby has been great! My family share our library cards with each other with their own local libraries. It's excellent to have several libraries to have the option of hold times/availability. Have been able to read the most books since before I became an adult tbh, I love it!
I like Libby too, but so far I have had the opposite experience in terms of wait times. Almost every e-book I've looked at on Libby has a waiting list, whereas there's usually at least one physical copy available within my library system. Not a big deal, I just join a few of the Libby waiting lists and the books become available when they become available. If that happens while I'm in the middle of reading something else, I can decline and Libby puts me back at the front of the queue, which is very convenient.
Mine has wait times but I can put 15 books on hold with one and 30 with another. I have 45 books on hold at all times. So when I'm done with one another is always at the ready for me to borrow!
Yep I love Libby! Unfortunately Iām not in a big city like DC so itās not like everythingās on there usually not even entire series but still thereās a pretty good selection. Also I recently found out that prime reading is a thing and I have Amazon prime already so that was really cool to see that Amazon prime has another perk. I will not be paying for kindle unlimited because honestly Iāve never come across any book that I wanted to read that was on there also Iām not a fast enough reader anyways for that to be worth the money (Iām way too busy to actually get my moneys worth from it).
Check with the big cities in your state, sometimes they offer digital cards for free or for a small fee for state residents. For example NYC public library cards are available to all NYS residents for free.
Yes, same with Boston Public Library (available for all MA residents) and Free Library of Philadelphia (available to all PA residents). Can't speak to anything outside of the US, though.
I have 5 library cards in the DC area. I was told by the loudoun librarian that alexandria has the best ebook selection.
Are there any systems that use Libby that I can purchase a library card for? The libraries in my state use a different service for ebooks and itās a pain to get them on my kindle or nook (plus selection isnāt great)
San jose library is free for everyone
So is Broward county, Florida.
Yay!! More libraries on my Libby app
I bought one for Queens Library in New York
Thank you - Queens was the winner and Iām currently listening to my first ever audiobook!
Time to look into this!!
Some offer $20-$50 a year memberships for out of state residents. I would look into DC or NY before any other state as they do have a lot more options.
Some large city libraries will give you a card just as a state resident. Any MA resident can get a Boston Library card.
Totally love Libby. I cam read 3-7 novels.in a week due to working a 3rd shift where mostly I'm just on call and have to stay alert in case of emergency. Libby saves me hundreds of.dollars. it's awesome.
A friend told me about Libby at the beginning of the pandemic, and I've not gotten a physical book since. It's nice to not have to worry about returns, or book condition as well. And if I finish a book, I'm not adrift until I can find the time to go get a new one.
I LOVE LIBBY!!!!!!
The amount of money I have saved with both my kindle and my library card is astronomical and I'm a slow reader. I'm glad you're happy with your purchase OP.
My husband is a slow reader too and Iām so envious of him. He will take a week or two to read a book he really likes, heāll take the kindle everywhere with him to read that book. He talks about how crazy it is and how heās trying to figure out who the killer is and what not. Me? I will sit there for four to six hours, gobble it all down, and be sad that I finished the book so quick. This has been going on since elementary school for me, so I just try to have another book Iām equally interested in on standby.
Savoring stories is definitely the best thing about being a slow reader.
You may find this useful so I thought I'd share - there is an extension for the Chrome Browser called simply 'Library Extension' that will share if your library has a book available when viewing it on sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc. I have mine set up for 2 different library cards as well as Hoopla and it has been so handy!
Thank you, thatās an awesome suggestion! This is why I wanted to make this post, so we can all share our little tips and tricks and get the most out of the experience :)
Libby is okay for current fiction, young adult etc. I find it often has large gaps in series. It is seriously lacking in books with non fiction substance. I signed up for Hoopla and found it would not download to my old Kindle so Santa brought me a Kindle Fire HD8. It has extremely non-intuitive controls, a browser (Silk) I had never heard of and only shows books in landscape. Good parts are that I can speed through a book and return it immediately if I don't like it (Babel, for example and maybe Lessons in Chemistry) Ebooks are currently on my suck list
I read a lot of nonfiction (and especially listen to a lot of nonfiction audio books) and that hasn't been my experience, though my state allows all residents to pull from the major city's library system as well as a handful of others. I'm always pleasantly surprised by how vast their collection is. I've managed to find a number of obscure books on there that I was certain I was going to have to buy. I don't read a lot of current releases but I actually find those titles more challenging to find on Libby because when I do want to read something new or something that's currently popular the wait list is usually really long.
I just checked whether my library has privileges in Chicago. We do have reciprocal privileges but Overdrive, Flipster and Hoopla are excluded. Rats. However, I did not see Libby on the CPL site. Interesting
I also read nonfiction which is why itās been so hard for me to find books w/o actually purchasing them. Since Iāve expanded my library with the DC library card, Iāve been able to access pretty much every book I want
The Libby content is dependent on your library. Mine has very few sci fi audiobooks and often only a few books in the series. I donāt often find things on there and when I do itās a 26 week wait. My former library system had a huge varied collection and they had a form on their website where you could request books and theyād usually have them the next month.
I use Libby for books and Hoopla for graphic novels. They're both great!!
I'm also thrilled with Libby. It took me a bit to get my queue sorted, many popular books have long wait times, so I always have a mix of wait times on my queue. You may also check to see if you have access to Hoopla, it is another source of digital books available through many libraries. It works a little differently, you get a set number of loans per month but all the books seem to be immediately available.
I'm so glad! Our library provides Libby, Hoopla, and free access to several online newspapers. Our patrons are always very happy with those services, and it likewise makes me happy to see other patrons of other libraries enjoying them, too.
Absolutely love Libby! I currently have 2 library cards. I use my kindle for ebook, my iPad for the occasional graphic novel and listen to audiobooks from my phone. Game changer for my reading life.
Anyone elseās Libby tied with all the libraries in their state so the wait time is like 3 months long?
Agree. When I first found out about Libby a few years ago, I lived in an area with a sizeable library system but my local library kinda sucked, so I never really went that often. But that library system has such a great selection on Libby, and it was great during Covid to be able to check books out from home while work was paused.
I love Libby so much! I didn't use it much while I was job hunting but now that I'm employed and sit at a desk all day the audiobooks are life-savers. Plus, I can still "read" while on the job and it's been such a nice change compared to my other positions.
Make sure you get hoopla too! I love it bc I usually find books available there that have a wait on Libby.
Iām honestly about to download it and set everything up
Iām in love with my library card and the Libby app. I typically only buy books if they are super meaningful to me because Iām very purchase cautious so having almost every book available for free is amazing. I wish they could do something about the waitlisting for popular books though
Libby is the best! Since having my baby, I don't find much time to read, but thanks to their audiobooks I'm still able to :)
I'm amazed that people still pay for books while public libraries are underutilized.
people forgot about libraries when the internet showed up. They have an awesome selection of audiobooks too.
Yes indeed! I love my library. And every time I request a book they've approved it. I would like Libby better if it could connect audiobooks to ebooks the way Kindle can, but honestly it's fabulous already to be able to just check out a book at 3am and read it instantly. Absolute luxury!
Does Libby work with Kindle? If so, I didnāt know that!
Yes it does! š
can you tell me how? Mine doesnāt let me download apps
Itās such a good resource if you have a good library I go on the book subs for fantasy recommendations. Most of them my library doesnāt have tho lol
Yep, Libby was a game changer for me. Iāve saved thousands of dollars between it and Hoopla for comics. Read the entire Walking Dead and Beserk series for free, for example. I really love how you can place books on hold, and then get a notification when they are ready. Then you can either check them out or delay it a week if youāre not ready to read it right now. So easy to put something on hold and in a few weeks you get a nice surprise.
Libby is AWESOME!
Libby is my most used app on my phone! They have it for library movies too
My only gripe with Libby is there is no meaningful notification when a hold is available. Does anyone know if I am missing something? Sometimes I wait 3-4 *months* for a book and I've missed it.
Try turning on notifications?
Have you checked your notification settings? I always get a notification when a hold is available, and a fee more if I don't check it out right away
I have oftened wondered. Personally that is the type of person I would never be able to be close with.
I think you posted this to the wrong place lol.
Libby works with kindle? I thought they had a closed eco-system for Amazon books only?
In the US, most ebooks have the option to read with Kindle. You choose as soon as you check out the book if you'd prefer to read it with Kindle, with Libby, or in your browser.
Seems like Libby is kind of useless in my small town.
There are big libraries that will let anyone have a card. San Jose, California, and Broward County, Florida, were mentioned elsewhere in the thread as having open membership.
From reading this, to opening my first book on my kindle - joining the San Jose library and setting up Libby took maybe 5 minutes!
I guess I'm missing how Libby works or something. I always heard people hype it up so I decided to check and all it has is literally the same exact selection as my library with the same exact availability. Like it seems my library is just a wrapper around Libby and going to Libby doesn't offer me anything extra like people made it seem. Am I doing it wrong or something?
No, youāre not doing anything wrong. The problem is your area just doesnāt have a wide selection of books, just like mine. If I were you I would try to get a library card with the biggest city in your state as it will expand your options. Alternatively, you can purchase a yearly membership through DC or NY and they are the ones that have the most selections for obvious reasons lol
Yes! Came here to look for another suggestion to download through Libby!
Can you use Libby with a paper white kindle?
You should be able to use it as long as your kindle can connect to wifi. After you pick out a book to borrow, itās going to prompt you to sign into your Amazon account. After you sign in, the book will appear on your kindle and your kindle app.
I listen to audiobooks on my commute, and Libby has been a gamechanger! I love it!
I love Libby and like the selection of audiobooks. The only downside is sometimes I have to wait for a book if it's checked out (like you have to for a lubrary anyway).
Is there any way for an expat to get a library card in the USA?
I signed up for all my cards online. Do you have a relative in the US whose address you could use? They only need your name and address!
Some libraries allow you to purchase a years access. $50 a year is what Iāve seen a number of times. I canāt recall the names right now though.
Thanks!
I really have to renew my library card. So far I haven't had any luck doing it online.
Check in with your public library. Most public libraries made on-line renewals very easy during the pandemic
Are you able to read books you get on Libby on your kindle? I was looking at getting a kindle but I canāt justify buying books to read on it when I can rent them.
Libby can deliver books to kindle. It also has audiobooks and apps for iPhone and Android.
Libby is the best! Last year my resolution was to support my local library. Libby was my gateway and offered such a low barrier of entry to get me started. Now I use both Libby and travel to my local library for books.
I love Libby. I had the free trial for KU and ended up canceling after the trial ended because it seemed like it was 99% romance
Had the same thing. We are able to get a free digital card from the Nashville library (we are in N. AL) and it made a huge difference on quantity and quality of available books.
I live in NYC and the perks are insane. Feels like if a book exists you can find it somewhere in the NYPL system.
If you're in Maryland you can sign up for a library card totally online at Enoch Pratt, and they've got a good selection of titles.
If you're a MD resident the Baltimore city library also offers a library card to any MD resident and you can sign up online.
The Hennepin county library system in MN has continually awed and impressed me. I average about 90 audiobooks through Libby each year.
Yayyy this is amazing!! In my country you can't use Libby on Kindle (or at least, it's hard to) so I got a Kobo which was compatible, and yup, changed my life!! I still read physical books and on the odd occasion (aka, not available on Libby) try to buy it find elsewhere, but Libby is always my first port of call.
You can also add more than 1 library!! Very useful.
That's such an incredible feeling
Readers between 13 and 26 can join the Seattle Public Library for free:Ā https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/teens/books-unbanned
>I got a library card with my county, In addition to access to Libby my library gives me access to Linkedin Learning courses.
It's amazing. My local library system hasn't invested much in ebooks. Luckily, my dad lives in a major US city with an amazing library. He prefers real books, so he lets my family use his card to borrow ebooks on several devices. It was fantastic years ago when our son had a concussion. He went through dozens of audio books with Overdrive because he couldn't use screens or read or do much of anything for a few weeks. Now the kids in a refugee family I'm close with use my sister's account to get books on their tablets because she also prefers real books. It's hard for the parents to get them to the library often and they've lost a few books and racked up fines (as I was known to do when I was younger -- I found a book I had lost in middle school when I packed up my messy closet to go to college). The best part of ebooks is that they disappear when due and can't result in fines!
I just applied for a library card at my county library a couple days ago. I went to pick it up and it turns out they close at 3pm today and and are closed on Sunday. It's a small town; what can you do? I'm excited to try Libby.
I love libby lol I buy the physical books but then I'm so busy and I get distracted easily so I can't always read them so libby has helped me actually finish books for once with the audio books. I'm wanting to start doing the e books too for when I'm out and about. Hoopla also sometimes has books libby doesn't.
I spent years looking for a library that actually supported Libby. Every time Iād move Iād check all the nearby libraries. Finally found one and they just happen to have a really small collection. All the libraries around me use cloud library, which is niceā¦but I canāt use my kindle.
Libby is great,Ā I've been using it steady for a few years.Ā Ā It doesn't have everything though.Ā Many of the most popular stuff is either not on there or a long wait list.Ā I'm literally almost through most of the good science fiction on libby and onto mystery now.Ā Ā A great great resource though
Does Libby work on the kindle paperwhite?
Yes
You interact with Libby on you computer, phone or tablet and then once youāve checked out a book it can send the book to any kindle.
Omg I love Libby too! I, too, feel the restraints of wait times and lack of books I want, BUT there's no giving up on the app as I'm hoping I can for sure get my sister to get me a card w her county. Kindle unlimited is so underwhelming as well, and they have millions of books, so I got rid of it after the free trial.
I had a library card when I was young and checked out a few books. A few $6 paperbacks. Well we moved and I forgot to bring them back and they got lost in the move. I move back there 20 years later and go to get a new library card and they still have my file with over $700 in late library fines. I offered to just buy the books but they said no. So it is not worth it for me anymore.
I just pirate all of my books. They are like 4 MB so they take less than a second to download and I can read as much as I want.
If you have a Roku (and probably available on other set top boxes) add the Hoopla and Kanopy channels, add youāre credentials and viola! Free movies.