I love the Libby App, and here is why you should too.

I have used Libby, the app for my local library, for years now but it was during a conversation with my Mum, that I realised many people still don’t realise how amazing this app is.

Libby is a free app, that you can download from your App Store. You will need an account with your local library, something I cannot recommend getting enough anyway. Once logged in, you are able to access an enormous range of resources. If you need help creating and logging into your account, your local library should be able to help. I am signed into my Libby App on my phone and tablet, so I can access my books or magazines anywhere.

The app gives access to books, magazines, audiobooks, newspapers and more. You can ‘order’ books to your device that have a waiting list, you can schedule when you receive your book or magazine, you can subscribe to your favourite magazines. 

The loan on books and magazines is similar to the physical library books, it will be either for about 15/ 21 days or the length of the magazine date (month for example). You might be able to renew your book, or you can put it back on hold if you’re not ready but there is a queue for the book. You’ll get a notification when your loan goes back to the library catalog, in a cute touch of faith I got a notification just as I was writing this. This is one of the best things about the app, the automatic returns. No panic over late fees or rushing back to the library as it does it all itself. No large data storage on your device. You can recommend the book to a friend, and if they’re part of your library they can download it too. 

I always always check if my library has a virtual or physical copy of anything before I buy it. Especially magazines, the ones I read once and then become clutter in the house. The returning process is peak digital minimalism, no books sat in your book app on your phone. I have also saved a small fortune on books through using the Libby app.

Having my library books and magazines on my phone makes it more accessible to read the books I have on loan. I’ll pick up my phone and read a few pages whilst waiting for a take away, in the bath (risky I know, but I do it) and other spots I might otherwise end up on social media.

I really love the Libby app, and thoroughly recommend downloading it and looking through things you want to read. It's such a fantastic way to save money, prevent waste and access learning at the tap of a button. If you’ve got someone in your life that struggles to get to the library, show them Libby. Give them a lesson on how it works and give them the gift of the library at their fingertips.