Are you among the heaps of folks out there set to travel this Memorial Day weekend? Whether it’s a long drive or a long flight, audiobooks are a fantastic option to keep yourself occupied and there’s one app that’ll get you everything you need for free: Libby.
Audiobooks are an addiction I picked up straight out of college, with a newfound need to occupy my brain during commutes to work and on lunch breaks. I was pushed to try them after being mightily embarrassed over my inability to make much progress in Lord of the Rings throughout my undergraduate education. With just a few months of an Audible membership, I had worked through that fantasy bible and was off onto new literary horizons.
Audiobooks aren’t for everybody — some people have told me they find it difficult to retain what they hear — but if audiobooks work for you, Libby can be a great way to save money and get access to lots of interesting titles. With its ease of use and lack of a price tag, I wouldn’t blame you if you kept on with it, even though it’s back to work on Tuesday.
For more, find out how you can get a library card online and check out CNET’s best Memorial Day weekend deals.
What is Libby?
Previously known as OverDrive, the Libby app lets you access digital publications from real library systems. While I might be here to evangelize about its audiobook offerings, you can also borrow ebooks, digital comic books and digital magazines.
All of that content won’t cost you a dime, but while there might be such a thing as a free lunch, there probably isn’t such a thing as a no-effort lunch. All that to say, Libby requires an actual library card to access anything, and while some systems will let you sign up for a card online, in most places, you will eventually have to go to your local library in person to get set up with a card. You’ll need to make sure it stays up to date. A small price to pay, if you ask me, for a nearly unlimited supply of free books.
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Where can I get Libby?
Libby is available through Apple’s App Store, the Google Play store and the Amazon App Store. If you’ve got a phone, tablet or laptop in your pocket or bag, you can get Libby. You can also access the service via a web browser at libbyapp.com.
So how does it work?
Once you’ve created a Libby account and entered your library card’s info, all you have to do is search for the title you want and borrow it. If you’ve ever used Spotify, the Apple Music app or other audiobook apps like Audible or Apple Books, you’ll know what to expect with the Libby player. Elsewhere, you can read ebooks in Libby or by exporting them to your Kindle app. (No such luck for non-Amazon e-readers, I’m afraid.)
One of Libby’s major value propositions is the ability to add multiple library cards. Some library systems will allow you to sign up for a card even if you don’t live in its local area. For example, as a resident of New York state, I can access the New York City Public Library in Manhattan, the Queens Public Library and the Brooklyn Public Library, as well as my local library, dramatically expanding the catalog I can pull from. Go digging on Google and see if any library systems in your state offer something similar.
Are there any drawbacks to Libby?
As Libby is connecting you with real libraries, you must work within the limitations of library rentals. That means that each title will have a limited number of “copies” that the library can lend at a time, so if the one you’re looking for is all booked up, you’ll have to place a hold and wait for it to become available. Once you borrow something, you’ll only have access to it for a certain amount of time, usually two to three weeks. Maybe reconsider using Libby to check out Infinite Jest or Stephen King’s The Stand unless you have a mountain of free time.
You’ll also notice on Libby, compared to Audible or Apple Books, that the audio quality for audiobooks leaves something to be desired. And unlike Audible, there’s no option to choose from higher- or lower-quality files. Certainly, not something that will be a deal-breaker for most people, but something to keep in mind for perfectionists.
For more on audiobooks, find out how audiobooks could become another medium shaken up by AI.
