I read 7 books in the month of August. Here are my reviews. Murder at…
The Read With Us Lounge: A Libby Update
If you use Libby to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your library, there’s a new feature you might start noticing, and it’s a really good one because it’s now much easier to search and borrow from other library networks that have reciprocal borrowing agreements with your home network.
First, a little explanation, because this is one of those behind-the-scenes library things that most people probably have no reason to know about. Many library networks have agreements with other networks that allow their patrons to borrow from each other’s digital collections. So even though you have a library card from your hometown library, that card may give you access to ebooks and audiobooks owned by several other library networks.
Up until now, you had to know which other networks you were eligible to use and manually add each one as a library in the Libby app. Then, if the book you wanted wasn’t available through your home network, you could search those other networks individually. That was okay, but you had to know the option existed in the first place, and it was cumbersome.
Now Libby does that work for you.
When you search for a book, Libby will automatically search the partner library networks available to you. If another network has the book, Libby can let you know that it’s available there and that you can borrow it using your regular library card. It’s also significant that Libby still searches your home network first. That way, if your own library or library network owns the title, you maintain the borrowing and holds priority you’re supposed to have as a local patron.
Ebooks and audiobooks are expensive for libraries, and digital licensing works very differently from buying a physical book. No individual library or library network can own everything. Reciprocal borrowing lets libraries stretch those collections further and gives readers more opportunities to find the books they want.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that the wildly popular new release with a six-month waiting list is suddenly going to be sitting there waiting for you. But it does mean that when your network doesn’t have something, Libby can now essentially say, “Hey, one of your partner networks does, and your library card works there.”
You may see a welcome message in Libby announcing the new feature. Or you might not notice anything until you search for a book and discover that Libby has found a copy for you somewhere else. Either way, it’s a great update because it takes a library service that already existed and makes it much easier for people to actually use it.
And it’s another reminder that your library card probably does a whole lot more than you think it does.
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Comments (11)
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I don’t use Libby…but I don’t borrow ebooks anyway. (I have a Kindle, but prefer reading a book on paper and not on a screen.). I do know that many times when I borrow a book it comes from a different library than my own local library. It’s so nice that when I request a book there are more options than just my small town library!
My local library is called Main Library Alliance in Libby so I’m guessing it’s searching the Alliance like you talked about. I’m not sure I’m getting books any faster (like you mentioned) but it is nice to know that Libby is looking several places!
Libraries are taking challenging times and continuing to support their communities. A very good thing. I don’t know what I did before Libby…. it is the most amazing little app!
I’ll look forward to this!
COOL! ?
That ? was supposed to be a smiling face, but it didn’t work that way…
This is huge for me as I live in a county where the library is small and they dropped using Hoopla and Cloud Library a year or so ago. I did join a library near my daughter who lives in LA county. I had to go into the library and then manually add it as you described. This library was open to all California residents. Now I have so many more resources and don’t have to manually join each one. Thanks for the explanation.
This is so great! I’m already a big fan of Libby and my library, and it’s nice to know that Libby is getting better because Hoopla has been getting worse.
I saw that on Instagram this weekend but my library’s partners didn’t show up yet. But, they just switched to a different library system this summer so may still be working on it. On their website, I can check out the other libraries when doing holds but not on Libby yet. They left our neighboring town library but I was able to go there and join their system so I can still use that library as it’s near where I grocery shop and where my niece lives. I sent the info to my sister as she’s at the library often and can check in with them about it.
Thank you for the update. I will be looking for this update and/or checking with my local library system. A library card is worth gold.
Thank you, Carole, for this information! I don’t think my library has any reciprocal agreements with other libraries, but the out of state library I subscribe to does. This should expand my ability to find ebooks even if I have to wait forever to get them. (Can’t complain about free books, ever!) I appreciate this very much.