Libby App Brings Books and Magazines to Your Phone

You’ve probably heard people talking about Libby – saying things like “Libby is incredibly well-read.” Or “Libby loves to share.”

If you don’t already know Libby, welcome to this free feature of Nashville Public Library, which allows library cardholders to access books, audiobooks and magazines from their devices.

For readers, the Libby platform--used by thousands of libraries, colleges and universities-- means more than being able to reserve books online and pick them up at a branch. It means clicking on a phone, computer or other reading device and diving into a book or magazine instantly.

Give it a try. Download the free Libby app onto a phone or tablet. If using a laptop or desktop, visit libbyapp.com. (Mobile devices offer options for downloading material to read offline, but web browsers require an internet connection for reading.) Once you’ve entered your library card number and PIN, start exploring.

Browse audiobooks for listening, or ebooks and magazines for reading. You can search for an exact title you want to read. If it’s the latest bestseller, you might have to put a hold on the book and wait for it to become available, because a library has a limited number of licenses on a title at any given time. Or you can search only for readily available books.

Within a few clicks, you can be listening to a sticky story, navigating a self-help journey, studying materials in various languages, or flipping through art and music listings in a favorite weekly culture calendar. Resources can be borrowed for seven to 21 days and can be renewed if there are no pending holds.

You can have as many as 10 holds at a time, and Libby can notify you when your copy becomes available. Because, in addition to being well-read and quick to share, Libby is helpful and communicative.