What a year it has been for our little librarian. In addition to a whole new look, the Libby app has had a year full of fun and useful updates. The Libby team is always hard at work improving Libby’s accessibility, fulfilling user requests, and coming up with new ways to delight readers. Here are some of our favorite Libby updates that happened this year:

Users can export their notes, highlights, and bookmarks for a title

That’s right, bookworms! Book clubs just got a whole lot easier! This feature was one of the most common requests that we received when we were out on the road talking to library patrons about Libby. We are super excited that the next time we are visiting a library, we can give those users good news! To export notes, highlights, and bookmarks:

1. Go to the title’s details screen in your library’s catalog.
2. Tap Reading Journey.
3. Tap Actions > Export Reading Data.
4. Choose an export format for your notes, highlights, and bookmarks:

• • To export them to a web page, select Table. From there, you can bookmark the page for future use or share it with others.
    Note: The exported page also includes your circulation activity for the title.

To save them to your device, select Spreadsheet, then Bookmarks or Highlights. Exporting your highlights includes any notes.

Libby is now available in 10 languages

When traveling with the Digital Bookmobile, we meet so many people that speak a wide variety of languages, so we are thrilled that the Libby team added support for 9 additional languages. In addition to English, Libby is now available in Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French (Canada), German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish (Latin America), and Swedish.

Libby automatically uses the language your device or web browser is set to, as long as the language is supported in the app.
If you’d like to use Libby in a different language than your device:

1. Go to (libby icon is acting up in quip).
2. Tap Get Some Help.
3. Choose your language (under “Common Solutions”).

Keyboard shortcuts make navigating ebooks and audiobooks easier

Speaking of accessibility, Libby’s reader and audiobook player are now completely navigable with a keyboard. Find out more about keyboard shortcuts with our help article here: Keyboard shortcuts for the ebook reader and audiobook player.

Libby is now compatible with Sonos

With other smart home systems (Google and Alexa), Libby can play audiobooks via Bluetooth, but this year we announced our newest smart home integration with Sonos. Households with Sonos wireless home sound systems can enjoy audiobooks from their Sonos speakers without the need to connect via Bluetooth. To connect Libby with a Sonos speaker:

1. Add the Libby service in your Sonos Controller app.
2. Sign into the Libby service:
   1. When prompted, enter your setup code from the Libby app.
   2. To get a setup code: Open Libby, then tap and hold (libby icon is acting up in quip) until a setup code appears.
3. Once signed in, go back to the Sonos Conroller app and enter a name for your account.
4. Tap on an audiobook on your shelf to start listening.

Users can now share their Libby tags and activity on Goodreads

Few communities are as passionate about cataloging as the book community, so Christmas came early with our September update. With the ability to export tags and activity, users can import these lists into their Goodread’s account, making it easier than ever to catalog both physical and digital reading materials. To import tags or activity into Goodreads:

1. Export a tag or your activity as a Spreadsheet from Libby.
2. Send or transfer the spreadsheet to a computer.
3. On your computer, follow Goodreads’s steps to import books into your account.

With its rich history, decadent food scene, and title as the most haunted city in the United States, the city I was most excited to travel to this year was without a doubt New Orleans. The second I found out that the Digital Bookmobile was heading to The Crescent City, I started forming an itinerary. The initial research took a few hours. I then spent several days begrudgingly crossing activities off of my list until I could squeeze my must-dos into the four days we would spend in New Orleans. I would be lying if I said that I did not resort to flipping coins and asking my Magic 8 Ball.

You can imagine my disappointment when just nine days before my plane was to land in Louisiana, word came that we would be postponing our 2020 tour, and with it the possibility of eating gumbo for breakfast, lunch, and dinner would have to wait as well. If and when I get my chance to explore The Big Easy, here are three things I can’t wait to do:
Have a drink at The Carousel Bar
Designated an official literary landmark by the Friends of the Library Association, Hotel Monteleone is at the very top of my list of places to visit in New Orleans. Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Anne Rice, and William Faulkner are just some of the literary icons that frequented the hotel. While the fact that the hotel is haunted is one of the reasons I’d like to visit, I’m also very aware that I’m too much of a wimp to ever stay overnight, so I’m settling for a drink at the Carousel Bar inside the hotel.

I know that it sounds a little lame that I am only planning on getting a drink at the bar of an iconic haunted hotel, but the Carousel Bar is famous in its own right. As guests enjoy Pimm’s Cups and are lulled by the enticing sounds of live jazz, they are slowly rotated around the bartenders as if they were on a carousel. I truly hope that the experience lives up to the extra hype this year has allowed me to collect while I wait.

Stop by Faulkner House Books
There is something so comforting about being surrounded by books that I just can’t resist, so you can often find me scouting out bookstores on most of the stops we make on the tour. My time in New Orleans will be no different, especially when the city is home to a bookstore located in the very building William Faulkner lived while writing his very first (published) novel Soldier’s Pay.

Despite my addiction to exploring books stores, I typically avoid purchasing much of anything while out on the road for lack of space in my suitcase, but I am definitely going to make an exception during my visit to Faulkner House Books. I would live to regret it if I passed on the opportunity to purchase a copy of his work sold out of his very own former home.

Explore Beauregard-Keyes Historic House & Garden
I’m not even a little ashamed to admit that I frequently spend my free time looking at houses for sale without the slightest intention to ever purchase one. I love to search for the perfect house in cities I will likely never live in. It’s my version of online window shopping, except I am unable to put things into a cart while pretending I can afford it all.

For the same reasons I love window shopping for spacious 1 bedrooms in places like Vancouver, British Columbia, I love visiting old historic houses across the United States. Once home to many of New Orleans’ well-known residents like world famous chess player Paul Morphy, and then years later The Old Gray Homestead author Frances Parkinson Keyes, Beauregard-Keyes Historic House & Garden is steeped in New Orleans history that I can’t wait to discover.

While there are many other literary sights the city has to offer and even more opportunities outside the world of books that make New Orleans such an exciting city to visit, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can at least check these three off of my list twelve-page Google Doc in 2021.

November 1^st usually signifies that the end of the Digital Bookmobile tour is near. After ten months out on the road, I begin counting down the days until I can sleep in my own bed and snuggle my cats during the holiday season. After cancelling our tour in March, I have spent the last ten months feeling road sick instead, and now, at a time I’m usually happy to be returning home, my desire to travel with the Digital Bookmobile is at an all-time high.

To quench my thirst for travel (or perhaps make it worse), I’m spending November living vicariously through these authors that wrote memoirs about their experiences traveling across America. If the travel bug is also buzzing annoyingly in your ear, check out these five books from your library’s digital collection:

The Road Headed West by Leon McCarron
Terrified of the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or excitement, Leon takes off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense.

Over five months and 6000 miles, he cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings, wild roaming buffalo and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure.

Citizen U.S.A by Alexandra Pelosi
In the HBO(r) documentary tentatively titled Citizen U.S.A., acclaimed filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi sets out on a road trip across America to attend naturalization ceremonies in all fifty states to meet brand-new citizens and find out why they chose America as their home. What she discovers is that America welcomes them all – the disabled, the cancer patients, LGBTQIA+, Obama- haters, Christian missionaries, Muslim imams, Jewish rabbis, Buddhist monks, scientists with Ph.D.s (trying to find the cure for all the diseases that are plaguing us), tech giants in Silicon Valley, movie directors, race car drivers, and even a wrestler with his own action figure!

Walking to Listen by Andrew Forsthoefel
A memoir of one young man’s coming of age on a journey across America—told through the stories of the people of all ages, races, and inclinations he meets along the way.

At 23, Andrew Forsthoefel headed out the back door of his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, with a backpack, an audio recorder, his copies of Whitman and Rilke, and a sign that read “Walking to Listen.” He had just graduated from Middlebury College and was ready to begin his adult life, but he didn’t know how. So he decided to take a cross-country quest for guidance, one where everyone he met would be his guide.

Strays by Britt Collins
Homeless, alcoholic, and depressed, Michael King lives in a UPS loading bay on the wrong side of Portland, Oregon. One rainy night, he stumbles upon a hurt, starving, scruffy cat and takes her in. Nursing her back to health, he names her Tabor. When winter comes, they travel from Oregon to the beaches of California to the high plains of Montana, surviving blizzards and bears, angry steers and rainstorms. Along the way, people are drawn to the spirited, beautiful cat and moved to help Michael.

Tabor comforts Michael when he’s down, giving him someone to love and care for, inspiring him to get sober and come to terms with his past family traumas and grief over the death of his partner. But when Michael takes Tabor to a vet in Montana, he discovers that she has an identification chip and an owner who has never given up hope of finding her. Michael makes the difficult choice to return to Portland to reunite Tabor with her owner and learn to create a new purpose in his life after Tabor.

Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck
In September 1960, John Steinbeck embarked on a journey across America. He felt that he might have lost touch with the country, with its speech, the smell of its grass and trees, its color and quality of light, the pulse of its people. To reassure himself, he set out on a voyage of rediscovery of the American identity, accompanied by a distinguished French poodle named Charley and riding in a three-quarter-ton pickup truck named Rocinante.

Travels with Charley in Search of America is an intimate look at one of America’s most beloved writers in the later years of his life—a self-portrait of a man who never wrote an explicit autobiography. Written during a time of upheaval and racial tension in the South—which Steinbeck witnessed firsthand—Travels with Charley in Search of America is a stunning evocation of America on the eve of a tumultuous decade.

What’s not to love about autumn? It’s the perfect season to indulge in delicious food, explore new places, decorate the house, and learn something new. As you sip on your highly anticipated pumpkin spiced beverage, tap into the Libby app to discover your library’s selection of fall titles. Libby has a little something for everyone this season.
Autumn is a great time to travel, both for the cooler weather and the spectacular views that fall foliage brings. It can be a challenge to find the perfect place to enjoy one of nature’s most exciting spectacles, but don’t forget to utilize your library’s digital collection of travel titles while you research your next getaway. For travelers that fancy themselves a spook or two, there are also plenty of travel guides of the haunted variety, too!

Fall titles for travelers:
Colors of Fall Road Trip Guide by Jerry and Marcy Monkman
Best Autumn Trips by Lonely Planet
Autumn Rambles of New England by Michael and Mark Tougias
Haunted Places by Dennis William Hauck

Kids have a lot of questions this time of year. Why are the leaves changing? When did we first celebrate Thanksgiving? Why do squirrels bury their acorns? The real question is, who can resist a bedtime story and a learning opportunity all wrapped into one? Whether your child wants to know why the trees shed their leaves, what the animals are up to as they prepare for winter, or about the history of harvest-time celebrations, Libby and your library have you covered.

Fall titles for curious kiddos:
Summer Green to Autumn Gold by Mia Posada
Busy Animals by Lisa Bullard
Hello, World! How Do Apples Grow? By Jill Mcdonald
We Gather Together by Wendy Pfeffer and Linda Bleck

We’re all about to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but who can complain when you are surrounded by loved ones? Whether you are looking for a scary cupcake recipe for your Halloween party or a delicious soup to enjoy on a chilly evening, Libby has a selection of cookbooks to fit every home chef’s need.

Fall titles for cooks:
The Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookbook by Stephanie Pedersen
The Apple Lover’s Cookbook by Amy Traverso
Ghoulish Goodies by Sharon Bowers
Recipes to Make Thanksgiving More Amazing by Ida Smith

Tis the season to DIY. Look no further than your library’s digital collection for a wide array of fall-themed projects! From DIY Halloween costumes to trendy autumn-inspired home décor, crafters are sure to find more than one project to keep them entertained.

Fall titles for crafters:
Pumpkins and Party Themes: 50 DIY Designs to Bring Your Halloween Extravaganza to Life by Roxanne Rhoads
How to Carve Freakishly Cook Pumpkins by Sarah L. Schuette
Just Treats, No Tricks: Bewitching Quilts and More to Celebrate Autumn by Betsy Chutchain
Duct Tape Costumes by Carolyn Bernhardt

It’s Banned Books Week! While diving into one of the many titles that landed on the American Library Association’s Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books of the last decade is a great way to spend your free time this week, it’s also important to explore why the book community comes together every year to show support for easy access to information. Whether you are curious about the history behind book banning or want to explore how graphic novels fit into the world of banned books, listening to podcasts is a great way to learn something new. In honor of Banned Books Week, give these three podcast episodes a listen:

1. The Story Behind Ep. 126: Banned Books
   On this episode of The Story Behind, podcast host Emily Prokop takes listeners on a journey dating all the way back to 2010 BC detailing the origin of banned books. While the episode is only 12 minutes from start to finish, Emily was able to pack plenty of interesting information, and even a scene from “Parks and Recreation,” into the bite-sized episode.
2. Part-Time Genius: Why Were These Banned?
   Already know the history behind Banned Books Week, but want to hear more about why certain books have been challenged or banned? On this episode of Part-Time Genius, hosts Will and Mango cover many of the stories of banned books from the mystery behind the “Wicked Bible” to why Where’s Waldo is banned in prisons.
3. Comics Are Great! Ep. 105: Banned Books
   Did you know that every year at least one graphic novel makes the American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books List? On this episode of Comics Are Great!, listeners hear from cartoonist Jerzy Drozd and David Carter, librarian at the University of Michigan’s Comics and Video Game Archive, as they explore the complexities behind censorship in comics.

Looking for other great podcasts about reading? Check out the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Hosts Jill and Adam provide listeners with weekly book recommendations, chat about exciting new upcoming releases and interview an incredible selection of authors. The Professional Book Nerds podcast is available through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

It’s that time of year again! I’m not referring to pumpkin spiced lattes and sweater weather (although I’m excited for those too). No, September 18th is the day literature lovers everywhere celebrate Read an Ebook Day.

Why should we celebrate a day dedicated to reading ebooks? Well, ebooks can be customized to each individual reader, they are great for the environment, and they can be downloaded anytime, anywhere. I could keep going, trust me, but I’ll practice some restraint.

Today, OverDrive employees have the opportunity to tidy their (work-from-home) desks an hour early and dive into a good book. Here are some of the great reads that our team have chosen to celebrate:

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Chosen by: Andi, Public Relations Specialist

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new book about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.

Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma

Chosen by: Renee, Director of Marketing Services

Ambitious and masterfully-wrought, Lauren Francis-Sharma’s Book of the Little Axe is an incredible journey, spanning decades and oceans from Trinidad to the American West during the tumultuous days of warring colonial powers and westward expansion.

*This title was chosen as the Libraries Transform Book Pick. Readers at U.S public libraries can borrow Book of the Little Axe without wait lists or holds from September 14 – 28. Find out more about this year’s Library Transform Book Pick here.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Chosen by: Marissa, Digital Book Specialist

A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood by Trixie Mattel & Katya

Chosen by: Joe, Marketing and Events Specialist

In essays, conversations, and how-to sections peppered with hilarious, gorgeous photos, Trixie and Katya advise readers on beauty and fashion and tackle other vital components of a happy home, such as money, self-love, and friendship; sharing advice and personal stories in high-concept fashion.

Informative, humorous, and heartwarming, Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood is the book that their fans have been waiting for.

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Chosen by: Lauren, Publisher Account Services Team Lead

Lily King’s Writers & Lovers follows Casey in the last days of a long youth, a time when everything – her family, her work, her relationships – comes to a crisis. Hugely moving and impossibly funny, it is a transfixing novel that explores the terrifying and exhilarating leap between the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another. It is a novel about love and creativity, and ultimately it captures the moment when a woman becomes an artist.

We would love to hear what book you are reading during your own celebration of Read an Ebook Day! Message us on Instagram (@digitalbookmobile) to let us know!

I grew up in a family of audiobook lovers. Whether we were on a road trip hundreds of miles away from home or hanging out on our back porch, it was a safe bet to assume a book on tape was rolling in the nearest cassette player. If audiobookish was a word, it would definitely describe my mom. In fact, the most angry I have ever seen my mom was when my sister and I recorded over her favorite book on tape with an episode of Rick Dees Weekly Top 40. She did not agree that Outkast’s Hey Ya! was more entertaining than Pat Conroy’s Beach Music.

If you ask my mom why she chooses audiobooks over a traditional book, her answer is simple; audiobooks provide a way for her to read as much as she wants without the need to prioritize it over other activities or responsibilities. Her reasoning has really stuck with me into adulthood. While I definitely enjoy reading in the written form, most of my literature consumption is through audiobooks. Here are just a few of the ways I sneak in books during my day-to-day life. I listen:

1. While crafting – Whether I’m just coloring in my National Parks coloring book, learning how to make polymer clay earrings, or scrapbooking the night away, I always have an audiobook playing in the background.
2. While gardening – I currently live in a second-floor apartment, but I luckily have a balcony with container gardens full of herbs and peppers. Any time I pop out to tend to the garden, I throw on my Bluetooth headphones so I can listen to a chapter of my current book while I’m up to my elbows in dirt.
3. While exercising – If my exercising happens anywhere other than the woods, I’m not a fan. I found that listening to music while I ran made me annoyingly aware of just how long I’d been running, and therefore how much longer I had to go. As soon as a song would end, I’d think, “Wow, that was only three minutes??” Switching to audiobooks has helped so much because I am so distracted by the story that I can’t get caught up by how long I’ve been in pain and how much longer I will continue to suffer.
4. During dog walks – Unfortunately, I don’t currently have a canine pal, but in between college and working for OverDrive, I was a dog walker with a fantastic local company here in Cleveland. I would spend anywhere between an hour and five hours walking dogs around the city. Audiobooks really came in handy during that time, and it might be one of the reasons I use to convince my partner that we need a dog of our own.
5. While cleaning – Book are an excellent motivator when it comes to chores for me. If I am in the middle of a good book, I will literally find things to scrub so that I can have an excuse to listen. I listen to audiobooks while I clean so often that I bought a Google Home Mini for each part of my house so I can connect Libby to a speaker regardless of which room I’m currently cleaning.
6. In the shower – Pro tip. If you listen to audiobooks in the shower, it’s like you have dedicated reading time built into your schedule. Although, be warned that your water bill may increase if you aren’t careful!
7. While cooking – I love to cook, but sometimes at the end of the day, it’s hard to motivate myself to spend an hour over the hot stove. I find that if I throw my current book on, I’m more likely to suck it up and cook a healthy meal than I am to order take-out.
8. In the car – As the traveler with the Digital Bookmobile, I drive a lot. Most of the time that I spend driving while out on the road is long distances all by my lonesome. You’d think that would be incredibly boring, but the time really does fly by while listening to an audiobook. This was even the case in Los Angeles, where a ten mile drive could take three hours.
9. During doctors appointments – I can’t remember the last time I sat in a doctor’s office reading an outdated magazine. Whether I’m stuck in the waiting room or sitting in the examination room waiting for the doctor to arrive, my audiobook is there to keep me sane.
10. As I fall asleep – Listening to someone speak lulls me to sleep instantly, so I love to turn my audiobook on right before bed. As a bonus, Libby’s sleep timer means I’ll never have to go back to find my place the next morning!

By listening rather than reading, I’m able to finish double, and sometimes even triple, the amount of books I would by just reading alone. Do you use audiobooks to increase the amount of reading you fit into your schedule or to spice up a boring activity? Let us know over on our Instagram (@digitalbookmobile).

One of the great things about working for OverDrive is the opportunities they give us to volunteer. In years past, team members have gotten to volunteer at animal shelters, metro parks, book banks, and many more amazing organizations. This year has admittedly looked a little different as we work from home, but OverDrive hasn’t let that barrier get in the way of giving back to the community.

Over the last month, team members have been “spring cleaning” their homes to gather donations for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland. After cleaning out every closet in the house and all of the long unopened boxes in our attic, I started going through my craft room, hoping to find some of my old tools that would brighten some young crafter’s day. While cleaning out my massive drawer of scrap wrapping paper, old pictures, and torn magazines, I came across a bucket list I made in my early 20’s.

It was pretty cool to see that without even realizing it, I had crossed quite a few of the items off, and realized that once the Digital Bookmobile is back out on the road, I will have the chance to cross off many more. Here are five of my bucket list items inspired by books or authors that I hope to cross off as I travel across the United States once our tour resumes:

1. Tour the John Muir National Historic Site

   It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of our national parks. So, when I first started reading John Muir’s essays in college, he immediately became one of my favorite authors. The John Muir National Historic Site offers tours of Muir’s Victorian mansion and nature hikes around Mount Wanda Preserve, which was once part of Muir’s landholdings. The next time we visit libraries in the bay area, I’ll be sure to carve out a little time to explore my favorite author’s former home.

2. Take my best friend to visit Emily Dickinson’s grave

   One of my love languages is giving gifts, and one gift I’ve always wanted to give is to surprise my best friend with a visit to her favorite poet’s grave. Honestly, calling Dickinson her favorite poet is an understatement, as she has a tattoo of her poem “Forever is Composed of Nows” in the works and she credits Dickinson’s work as part of the reason she became an English teacher. I’ll admit visiting a gravesite is a bit dark, but being able to accompany my best friend while she pays her respects to someone that had so much influence on her life would be truly unforgettable for us both.

3. Have a beer at Fiction Brewing Company

   After a long day on the Digital Bookmobile, my favorite way to wind down is by enjoying a delicious craft beer. Since 2014, Fiction Brewing Company has been crafting liquid literature in the form of everything from crisp IPAs to mouth-puckering sours. Some of their beer has been inspired by works like Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Devil’s Advocate by Andrew Neiderman. If that wasn’t enough to pique my interest, they also have a bar made out of books, and quotes from famous authors carved into their tables. Could there be a better atmosphere for enjoying a beer? In every city we stop, I always make sure to check out at least one local brewery, and the next time the Digital Bookmobile makes a stop in Denver, I hope I will be able to drop by Fiction Beer Company.

4. Go fly fishing in Montana

   I grew up fishing along the Ohio River with my brother. While my younger sister balked at the idea of staying up until the early hours of the morning and sitting in silence waiting for the bobber to fall below the surface, I just couldn’t get enough. I hadn’t (and still haven’t) tried fly fishing, but after reading A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean, I hope I will some day get the chance. While the novella is first and foremost about Maclean’s relationship with his brother, it was the way he described his natural surroundings while fly fishing that convinced me I needed to experience it all myself.

5. Watch the salmon migrate at the Renton Public Library

   This has been newly added to my bucket list, as I had never heard of Renton Public Library prior to working for OverDrive. When the Digital Bookmobile visited Seattle last November, I was able to watch the salmon migration during one of my many hikes in the area. It was easily one of the coolest experiences I’ve had. The next day I was talking about it with the library staff at an event, and they mentioned that they always go to the Renton Public Library to watch the salmon migration. They went on to explain that the library stretches 80 feet across the Cedar River and the library’s last renovation provides an excellent view of the river with its floor to ceiling windows. Visiting a library built over a river would be a unique experience alone, but watching the salmon migration from that very same building would be out of this world, so I can’t wait to return to the King County Library System in the future.

I didn’t get my first salty taste of the ocean until I was 18 years old, but since I started traveling with the Digital Bookmobile, I have gotten to explore beaches of all shapes and sizes in places like Florida, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, Oregon, and Washington. While each beach has its own unique feel, every beach I’ve been to has had two things in common; the smiling faces of those enjoying their time on the water, and the trash that previous beach goers had left behind.

Since 2003, the first week of July has been established as National Clean Beaches Week by the Clean Beaches Coalition. National Clean Beaches week aims to raise awareness about the importance of respecting the beach for ourselves, marine life, and the environment. No act toward cleaner beaches is too big or too small, and the best way to begin any journey is by reading a book.

Here are five books to help inspire anyone to do their part in embracing the importance of cleaner beaches:

What a Waste: Rubbish, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French (Nonficton)

Did you know that every single plastic toothbrush ever made still exists? Or that there is a floating mass of rubbish larger than the USA drifting around the Pacific Ocean?

It is not all bad news though. While this is a knowledge book that explains where we are going wrong, What a Waste also shows what we are getting right! Discover plans to save our seas. How countries are implementing green projects worldwide, and how to turn waste into something useful. The tiniest everyday changes can make all the difference to ensure our beautiful planet stays lush and teeming with life.

Song of the Dolphin Boy by Elizabeth Laird (Fiction)

Finn has always been different, and in the tiny fishing village of Stromhead he sticks out like a sore thumb. Always told to keep away from the water, he’s felt that something was missing until one day he dives in and finds that, swimming with the dolphins, he feels completely at home.

But his new friends are in danger of being injured by the rubbish that floats out into the water – and now a supermarket is going to release thousands of balloons that could drift out to sea and cause even more damage. Desperate to help the dolphins, Finn goes to the Lighthouse Crew, a group of kids who have always left Finn out. Will they be able to set aside their differences to save the dolphins? And what will Finn discover about his past along the way?

Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do by Wallace J. Nicholas (Nonfiction)

Why are we drawn to the ocean each summer? Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, Wallace J. Nichols shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success.

The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (Nonfiction)

The intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who now are establishing the intelligence of the octopus, watching them solve problems, and deciphering the meaning of their color-changing camouflage techniques. Montgomery chronicles this growing appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about consciousness and the meeting of two very different minds.

101 Ways To Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg (Nonfiction)

We all know how important it is to reduce our environmental footprint, but it can be daunting to know where to begin. Enter Kathryn Kellogg, who can fit all her trash from the past two years into a 16-ounce mason jar. How? She starts by saying “no” to straws and grocery bags, and “yes” to a reusable water bottle and compostable dish scrubbers.

In 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste, Kellogg shares these tips and more, along with DIY recipes for beauty and home; advice for responsible consumption and making better choices for home goods, fashion, and the office; and even secrets for how to go waste free at the airport.

Libby is pretty intuitive, making it easy to borrow a title and begin reading within just a few minutes, but I wanted to highlight some of Libby’s lesser-known features that you can utilize while reading from home. Especially now that we have welcomed so many new users to Libby since sheltering in place. Here are three things I think every Libby user should know:

You can use the definition feature to discover far more than what a word means

Defining words directly in the text has always been one of my favorite things about Libby, as I love non-fiction and often read books on topics that I don’t know much about, but you should know that you aren’t limited to defining single words found in the dictionary. Have you ever come across a character talking about an obscure TV show that was before your time? Maybe you like to read about adventures in foreign lands and get lost when they reference a landmark you have never heard of. If you are anything like me, you can not continue reading until you know exactly what they are referring to.

You no longer have to set your book aside to look up anything in Google! You can “define” anything from famous paintings to the names of generals in niche battles in WWII. If there is a Wikipedia page on it out there, Libby will likely give you a little blurb to give you the 411.

To define a word or words in an ebook:

1. Tap and hold the word.
2. Tap Define.

Notes and highlights can be accessed even after a title is returned

Libby has always given access to your annotations while the book is in your possession via the reading menu. In fact, if you returned a title and then borrowed it again later down the road, those notes and highlights would magically reappear along with it. However, if you didn’t have the title currently borrowed, you couldn’t look at the notes that you had taken during your loan period. For any book club enthusiasts out there, you will be happy to hear that you can now access your annotations in a title’s Reading Journey, even after it has been returned.

To see your Reading Journey for a title:

1. Go to the title’s details screen in your library’s catalog.
2. Tap Reading Journey.
3. Tap a highlight or bookmark to view it. If you added a note, you’ll see it under the highlight.

Be in the know with notifications

Have you been driving yourself crazy by repetitively checking your place in line for a highly anticipated title? Stop stressing yourself out and set up notifications! Libby will alert you when a hold becomes available!

Libby can alert you about a hold in a few different ways. iOS and Android users can choose between a menu badge (a colored circle on the menu icon in the app) or push notifications (a banner that will appear either on the lock screen or in the notification center, depending on your device settings). If you are using Libby on a computer or Surface tablet, you will get in-app notifications, which will appear in the menu.

Once you receive a notification that your hold is available, you have three days to act on it. If you aren’t ready you can have it delivered later which keeps you at the front of the waitlist, but passes the current copy to the next person in line. If you forget to act on a hold during the three day window, Libby will reschedule it for later delivery automatically (once per hold).

To manage which push notifications you get:

1. Tap the Libby icon in the upper right corner
2. Tap Manage Notifications at the top of the menu. Note: If you have existing in-app notifications at the top of the menu, swipe left to dismiss each one first.
3. If prompted, allow Libby to send push notifications.
4. Choose how to be notified: Ignore (no notification), Menu badge (in-app menu notification), or Notification (push notification).