What Is Libby, and How Do I Use It?

Prefer to listen? Narrated by Daniel Henning.

Part of our guide to free audiobooks.

Libby is a free app that lets you borrow audiobooks with your library card. There’s no subscription, no credits, and nothing to cancel. Totally free listening.

What is Libby?

Libby is the platform and app most public libraries use to lend digital audiobooks and e-books. Your library buys the licenses to audiobooks; you borrow the audiobook for free using your library card.

Libby is available in 78 countries worldwide, and over 90% of public libraries in North America have Libby. The network runs to more than 88,000 libraries and schools across over 100 countries.

Libby has over 940,000 (not a typo!) audiobook titles in their catalog, and many of these titles are available to you through your local, county, or state library systems.

• Real titles, in full. You’re borrowing the same unabridged audiobook you’d buy, not a shortened version.
• Free to you, always. No fees, no billing, nothing to cancel.
• New releases included. Bestsellers and just-released titles, not just older titles.

What makes Libby free to you is your tax-supported local library system, which pays to license the audiobooks and offers the app to its members.

Who’s behind Libby

The Libby ecosystem is run by a company called OverDrive. OverDrive is a Certified B Corporation and is run by a team of dedicated booklovers and library-lovers.

Getting started

• Get a library card! Apply in person or online.
• Install Libby app on your phone or device.
• Sign into Libby with your library card ID number and a PIN (you set a PIN when you sign up for your library card).
• Add more libraries to your Libby app. The Libby app helps you locate library systems from which you can borrow audiobooks. Top tip: Add as many library systems as possible to your app to your chances of getting the title you want as soon as possible.
• Search for Audiobooks. BORROW or HOLD the titles you want.
• Need help with Libby? Ask your librarian or read: Getting started with Libby
  

Libby also runs in a desktop browser at libbyapp.com. You can stream audiobooks there, but downloading for offline listening is only available on the Libby mobile app.

Does Libby have the audiobook I want?

OverDrive’s public catalog OverDrive audiobook search covers everything Libby lends, across all libraries, and it is searchable without signing in. If a title has no OverDrive record, no library anywhere carries it on Libby. Most “Audible Exclusive” titles are not available on Libby.

If you find the title you want in the Overdrive catalog, click on the title, then you can see if the title is available at a library in your region.

Borrowing and holds

Borrow what’s available now, or place a hold on anything checked out and Libby estimates when the title becomes available. Loans return themselves, so there are never late fees.

Hold are a great way of always having one or more audiobooks to listen to.

Add more than one library

You can add more than one library to Libby, and it takes about a minute. Many library systems let people outside their area join, and each one you add puts its whole catalog into your search. More libraries means more titles and shorter holds. Check your app or ask your librarian.

Getting more from the app

• Keep a few holds going, so something is usually ready when you finish the last book.
• Look for “Skip the Line” or “Lucky Day” copies, some libraries offer these with on demand with shorter borrowing periods (e.g., 7 days vs. 21 days)
• Adjust the narration speed in the player until it feels comfortable.

The bottom line

One card, one free app, and a habit of keeping holds going covers a lot of listening at no cost.

For titles with a long wait, try Hoopla if your library offers it.

For the classics, see LibriVox and the Public Domain.

Happy listening!

See every free method in How to Listen to Audiobooks for Free.