Are you taking advantage of all the features OverDrive's Libby app has to offer? Here are 10 tips that will help you get the most out of Libby:
- Let Libby give you notifications.
Libby now uses push notifications to offer alerts about your books. Choose which notifications you'd like to receive from the Libby menu under Manage Notifications, including: when a hold becomes available, when a loan is about to expire, when a loan has expired, and more. - Adjust the playback speed.
Change the playback speed in an audiobook by tapping the odometer icon at the top of your screen. Choose a preset speed or drag the slider to set a custom speed (0.6-3x). - See your audiobook progress.
You can see your current position, your progress as a percentage, and the remaining time in the audiobook at the top of the player. You can see your progress in the current chapter next to the "Chapters" button or chapter name. The time elapsed is on the left, and the time remaining is on the right. If you tap the jacket cover, it will show you an estimate of when you'll finish the title based on your current pace. - See your place in line for a hold.
After you place a hold, go to Shelf > Holds and tap the calendar icon to see your place in line. You'll also see your approximate wait time, the number of copies in use, and the number of people waiting. - Change your reading settings.
Tapping the "A" icon when reading an ebook gives you the ability to change the font spacing, size, and style (dyslexic font is available). You can also switch to night mode or a sepia background. - Listen to audiobooks anywhere.
Libby is compatible with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Sonos sound systems. You can listen to your audiobooks through your car's or home's sound system. - Sample any book in your library's collection.
You can tap any ebook or audiobook in your library's collection and preview up to 10% of the title with the "Read Sample" or "Play Sample" feature. Even if all the copies of the title are borrowed, you can still access the sample. This is a great way to decide whether or not you want to borrow a title. - Suspend your holds.
You may want to suspend a hold if you have too little time to read or too many books in progress. You'll still move up a title's wait list. If you reach #1 in line, you'll be the first person to get the book once your suspension ends. To suspend a hold, go to Shelf > Holds, tap Manage Hold, and then Suspend Hold. Use the slider to choose how long you'd like to suspend your hold. Finally, tap Update Hold. - Return a book early.
If you finish a book early, you can return it before its due date. (Readers on hold will appreciate you returning a title early.) Go to Shelf > Loans and tap Manage Loan. Tap Return Early, then Return. - Add multiple libraries.
If you have library cards at multiple libraries, you can add each of them by tapping the Libby face icon in the top right of your screen. Then tap Add A Library. Search for the library you want to add, and select Add A Library Card to save your card information for that library.
If you have any questions about getting started with Libby, contact our Reference staff at the Tabb Library, 757-890-5110, or Yorktown Library, 757-890-5207. We'll be glad to assist you.