I’ve spent a small fortune on books over the years, from Kindle purchases to Audible credits, and, of course, physical softcovers. Along the way, I had forgotten about Libby. The free app from OverDrive plays second fiddle to other commercial ebook reading apps like Kindle, Google Play Books, Apple Books, Kobo, etc.
But it doesn’t have to, as it stands in a unique place all its own: it connects to your local public library. If you have a library card, you have access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks (and other stuff) at no cost. Thanks to the British Library and Libby, I rediscovered the joy of borrowing books.
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Libby is completely free if you have a library card
Your card unlocks more than you think
A library card does more than let you borrow paperbacks. Through Libby, it unlocks a full digital catalog. I can only speak for the British Library, but via Libby, you can access ebooks, audiobooks, and even magazines. The selection varies across libraries, but most mid-sized public libraries carry tens of thousands of titles, especially digital titles. You can borrow up to 10 items at a time, and loans typically run for 14 or 21 days before auto-returning. No late fees.
When I first signed up, I wasn’t expecting much. Maybe lots of outdated titles. But I am pleasantly surprised every day as I come across recent bestsellers, classic literary fiction, and nonfiction releases from the past year. It’s not as thick as Amazon’s catalog, but it’s varied and deep.
If your library’s selection feels thin, try adding a second card. Many U.S. states let you sign up for a digital-only library card for free. OverDrive’s partner network means one Libby app can hold multiple library cards simultaneously. Just the idea of a due date hanging over my head has strangely helped me get back into reading with gusto.
The reading experience beats free alternatives
Libby’s reader is clean, fast, and uncluttered
Libby’s built-in ebook reader is minimal in the best way. You get font controls, brightness, three modes (Light, Sepia, and Dark), and clean page-turn animations. There’s no upselling, no ads, and no algorithm nudging you toward a purchase. It just helps you read. The audiobook player is equally solid with variable speed, a sleep timer, and a rewind button that jumps back 30 seconds. The screenshots are from an iPad Air.
Compared to Kindle, I do miss a few things. Kindle’s X-Ray feature, which surfaces character and term definitions in context, is genuinely useful for dense nonfiction. Libby doesn’t have that. Vocabulary-building tools are also absent. Also, Kindle’s sync across devices seems a bit better. On more than one occasion, I have lost the page I was on in another device.
That said, Libby integrates directly with Kindle. You can send a borrowed ebook to your Kindle device and read it there with all of Kindle’s features intact. This is restricted to the U.S. for now. But if you are there, you have the best of both worlds. Use Libby to borrow and Kindle to read.
Waitlists are real, but there are workarounds
Popular titles have queues, just like any library
The biggest bottleneck in Libby is availability. Libraries buy a limited number of digital licenses per title. A new release from a popular author might have a six-week wait, or it might be unavailable. You can’t just place an order in your shopping cart or even pre-order it. If you are a buff of any popular series like The Empyrean series, this can be frustrating. I’ve bumped into this more times than I’d like.
The fix is not to use Libby for an impulse purchase. Use the Place hold feature on titles the moment you hear about them. Even if you have more than one book to get through. The app will show your estimated wait time, your position in line, and how many copies your library owns. You can place an anticipated release on hold. Maybe some libraries use that to gauge a digital purchase.
If you have too many library books ready for you at the same time, you can easily pause your wait. Just go to your Shelf, tap Holds, select Manage Hold, and then choose Suspend Hold. This freezes your spot in line for a few days so you don’t lose your place.
Libby works across all your devices
One account, every screen you own
Libby syncs across iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, and browser. Your bookmarks, reading position, and borrowed titles automatically follow you between devices.
Unlike the Kindle, Libby on a browser is genuinely usable. I’ve read full books on my laptop during the period when I was reading ebooks without an eReader. The experience across all devices is the same.
The one weak spot is Libby’s integration with Kindle. It’s not global. The official, one-click Read with Kindle feature is restricted to U.S. libraries and U.S. Amazon accounts. If you are using a library card from Canada, the UK, Australia, or India, Libby will not show you the Read with Kindle option (as in my case). We have to read directly inside the Libby app.
You can also borrow magazines and audiobooks
Libby isn’t just for ebooks
Libby isn’t only for ebooks. The app also carries audiobooks and digital magazines through a service called Libby Magazines. I’ve borrowed issues of Reader’s Digest, Wired, and National Geographic without going through a paywall.
Audiobooks are worth calling out separately. They’re full-quality productions, just like Audible’s. But the catalog here is narrower than Amazon’s. Niche titles and indie authors are harder to find. For mainstream releases and popular nonfiction, the coverage is quite good.
In my mind, these two additional bonuses make the Libby app jump ahead of Kindle in terms of value. I unsubscribed from Audible because I couldn’t get audiobook ideas to stick. But Libby has added the spark again.
- OS
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Android, iOS, Windows, Mac
- Price model
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Free/w Library Card
- App Type
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Library Rentals
Libby is a free app from OverDrive that gives you instant access to thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines from your local public library: no subscription fees, no late fees, ever. Download the app, sign in with your library card, and start borrowing titles immediately.
Try this before you buy your next book
Next time you’re about to tap “Buy now” on Kindle, pause for 30 seconds. Open Libby, search for the same title, and check availability. If it’s there, borrow it. If there’s a wait, place the hold anyway and buy only if you truly can’t wait. I wait because my library has a lifetime of 120,000 alone.
I also keep a “to-read” note on my phone. Every time I come across a book recommendation, I add it to the note and immediately place a hold on Libby. I might forget the recommendation, but the book is waiting for me.