How to Use the Libby App

What to Know

• Download the Libby app, search for your library, then provide your library card number and PIN.
• When you find an item you want to check out, tap the book's cover, then tap Borrow or Place Hold.
• Tap Shelf to see books and the current status of items you've borrowed.

This article explains how to use Libby, the app that ties to your local library where you can borrow digital books and audiobooks.

How to Create a Libby Account

You get the most use out of the Libby app if you link it to your local library. This requires you to have a library card and accompanying PIN number, so if you don't have a current card, pay a visit to your library before getting started.

1. Download the Libby app from Google Play or the App Store. Libby walks you through setting up your account.

2. Select Yes when asked, "Do you have a library card?"

3. You have options to search for your library, but the fastest way is to enter your ZIP code. Select I'll Search For A Library.

4. Enter your ZIP code, the library name, or your city in the search field. You can also opt to look for nearby libraries on a map. Select your library.

   

5. Select Enter Library Account Details.

6. Enter your library card number in the Card Number field and select Next.

7. Enter your PIN and select Sign In.

   

   Registering your library card requires the card number and associated PIN. Your library often sets your PIN as the last four digits of your phone number, but you can call the library or go in person to verify it.

8. After you successfully enter your library card number and PIN, you are assigned a Libby digital library card. Select Next to access your library's collection of digital materials.

   

How to Check Out Materials Using the Libby App

Libby contains your library's collection of digital and audio books. You can search here just as you would using a computer at a library, including searching for authors, titles, or browsing genres. You can explore and browse the entire collection or search for a specific book.

After you locate what you want to check out, you have two options: Hold or Borrow. These steps walk you through these processes.

1. Select Search For A Book at the top of the home screen to search the library or use the main menu to browse available materials.

2. When you find an item to check out, tap the book's cover and then tap Borrow.

   Libby items are limited to a 14-day check-out period, so don't wait too long to read that new book.

3. Tap Borrow! in the screen that opens with your library card.

4. The book then shows you've borrowed it for 14 days. Tap Open Book to begin reading.

   

   You can also tap Keep Browsing to look for other items or tap Go To Shelf to see what you have currently checked out. Tap Shelf to see items you've loaned, ones you're holding, and the current status of items you've borrowed.

5. Just like your library, Libby might not have your book right now. To get in line, tap Place Hold on the book or audiobook screen. Enter your email address in the Send Hold Notice To field so that Libby can alert you when your book becomes available and tap Place Hold!

   

   Libby has a limit to the number of loans and holds you can have at one time. It is displayed before you hold or check out an item.