Our team finds so much joy in helping library patrons learn how to borrow digital materials through the Libby app. Every week, we host four 1.5 hour Libby webinars to get users up to speed on Libby basics and a few tips and tricks to help you get the most of out of the Libby app, but our favorite part of our webinars is answering user questions about the app.
Here are the most popular questions that users have when attending our webinars:
What is the difference between OverDrive and Libby?
Both Libby and the OverDrive app allow you to borrow and read the same digital content from your library, but they look and feel different.
Some of the things that we think sets Libby apart are:
- Libby’s simple onboarding process enables you to sign into Libby with a library card in seconds, without ever needing to create an account.
- If you have multiple library cards, you can find all of your loans and holds on a single shelf, making it easier than ever to find your current read.
- Libby’s tagging feature allows you to create as many lists as you would like. So, instead of being limited to a wish list and history, you can create lists of cookbooks with recipes you enjoyed, save a list of prospective book club titles, or keep track of all of the titles that you have read for professional development. The tagged lists that you can create are endless!
Can I renew books in Libby if I don’t finish them in time?
You can renew titles within 72 hours of the loan’s due date following these instructions on our help site. In the case that someone else has the book on hold, you’ll see a Place Hold button (instead of Renew) which means you need to wait to borrow the book again. Luckily, Libby remembers where you left off in a book, so you won’t need to go back to find your place.
If I “deliver a title later” for 7 days, will I be the next person in line to receive the book?
In most cases, yes. The title that you deliver later will go to the next person in line, then it will come back to you. However, if users in line ahead of you also delivered the same title later, the title will go through the list of users ahead of you first, then make it’s way back to you.
If you are ever itching to read but stuck on a waitlist, you can browse available titles in the meantime.
Can I read on my Kindle device?
You can read most borrowed books with Kindle (available in the U.S. only) using Libby’s Read with Kindle feature. Sending titles to your Kindle device does require you to sign into your Amazon account, so be sure to have your Amazon credentials (email and password) handy.
Can I delete a single tag from one of my tagged lists?
Of course! If you would like to untag a single title from a list, you can follow these instructions on our help site. Untagging a title is as easy as a swipe of a finger.
Do OverDrive and Libby sync?
I like to say that OverDrive and Libby are siblings that speak similar, but different languages. They talk to each other enough that your loans and holds will sync across both platforms, but your reading progress within a loan will not.
In our most recent update, OverDrive users can now sync their wish list from OverDrive to Libby using these steps on our help site!
Can I recommend titles for purchase?
You can’t recommend books to your library in Libby quite yet, but we’re working on this feature. Some libraries do allow users to recommend titles for purchase on their OverDrive website.
Can I change the narrator’s speed in an audiobook?
You can speed up or slow down audiobook narrators to best suit your preference with the steps in this help article.
Can I read on my phone and my laptop?
If you have a Windows computer, Mac computer, or a Chromebook, you can use Libby in your web browser at libbyapp.com. Both the Libby app and Libbyapp.com will automatically sync your loans, holds, book progress, and tags between devices, as long as you have an internet connection and used a setup code when setting Libby up on each device.
Can I add more than one library card?
If you have a valid library card to more than one library that uses OverDrive services, you can add them all to Libby to access all of your library’s digital collections. If you would like to add additional library cards to Libby, you can follow these directions on the help site.
If you have questions regarding Libby, you can browse Libby’s Help Site, DM us on Instagram at @DigitalBookmobile, or contact Technical Support.
Happy Reading!