Libby

Picture of the Libby icon on a red background

Libby

Notice—On May 1, 2023, the OverDrive app was discontinued. We encourage users to make the switch to Libby, their newer reading app. Libby is made by the same people, with the same goal of connection readers to their library. For help with making this switch, please visit the Idaho Falls Public Library third-floor service desk.

**The Idaho Falls Public Library would like to thank the Mae Neuber Foundation for their generous donation of $34,836.69 for Audiobooks that helps us fund, in part, our ebook collection.

Thank you for helping connect our readers to the library!

What’s Libby?

With the Libby app, you can access tens of thousands of ebooks and digital audiobooks. Libby has a modern interface, is intutive and user friendly, and—for those who share a device with someone else or who have access to more than one library—it allows you to enter multiple library card numbers.

Instructions for Use

Libby is available for download on Apple and Android devices. Any device type with internet access can use the online Libby App.

Download the Libby App

Download the Libby app from the Apple App Store.

Download on the App Store

Download the Libby app from the Google Play Store.

Get it on Google Play

Access the Libby app online.

libby app online

Set Up the Libby App

Follow these steps to set up Libby on your device:

  1. On the welcome screen, answer Yes to the library card question:
    Screenshot of the welcome screen
  2. On the next screen, select I’ll Search for a Library:
    Screenshot of the library search screen
  3. Type your zip code or the library’s name into the search window, then select the library in the list that appears:
    Screenshot of the library search results window
  4. On the page that loads, select Enter Library Account Details and type in your library card number:
    Screenshot of the main page without a registered card
  5. After entering your card, you can rename it—a good idea if you will use multiple cards in Libby—or you can click the Next option to complete the setup:
    Screenshot of the main screen after entering a library card
  6. From this same page, notice the quick link buttons at the top of the screen. These buttons will quickly filter the books that appear on the screen. Here are the options you can choose:
    Screenshot of the main screen
    • Just added—See what the library has recently purchased.
    • Popular—See which books are popular with other OverDrive users.
    • Random—Go ahead, take a chance. You might love it!
    • Available Now—Not interested in placing holds, use this option to filter out everything that is currently checked out by another patron.
    • Subjects—Browse by theme or subject.
  7. To see the books you have checked out, tap the icon at the bottom that looks like a stack of books. If you have something checked out, it will be visible on this screen. From here you can open and read or listen to it or even return the item early. You can also see what you have on hold or add tags to categorize the books you’ve read:
    Screenshot of the book shelf screen
  8. Back on the bottom navigation bar, tap on the magnifying glass icon. This will open a screen where you can search for books by title, author, or keyword:
    Screenshot of the search screen and preferences window
    • Notice that there is a more option on this screen. If you tap it, a preferences list will appear. This same list can be accessed from other screens whenever you see the Preferences option. From this preferences list, you can choose to limit what you see to a particular format—for example, just audiobooks—or to only those items that are currently available. There are other preference options, so take some time to explore.
  9. Once you have found a book that interests you, tap on the Borrow option. If the book is already checked out, tap the Place Hold option instead. If you opt to place a hold, Libby may ask for your email. Type in the address you want to use and you will be added to a hold queue. When it’s your turn to check out the book, you’ll receive an email saying you have 3 days to check it out:
    Screenshot of the materials search results screen
  10. When you borrow something, you will see a confirmation screen showing the title, the library card your using—important if you have multiple cards in Libby—and a large Borrow! button. Tap the button to complete the checkout and download the item to your device (internet connection required):
    Screenshot of the checkout confirmation screen
  11. To adjust your app settings, tap the Libby icon in the center of the bottom navigation bar. A side menu will open. Tap the Settings option near the bottom. (When you’re done, tap the Hide option at the top; see image below.) Here are the settings you can adjust:
    Screenshot of the app menu
    • Copy to Another Device—If you already have Libby set up on another device, you could have selected the Copy from another device option back in step 2. To do that, Libby would need you to open this settings menu on your old device and choose this copy option. Follow the on-screen instructions to generate the setup code for your new device.
    • Read Books With—If you are an avid Kindle user and know how to transfer your loans from OverDrive to Amazon, you can use this option to send everything to your Kindle. If you’re not an avid Kindle user, for ease of use we recommend selecting the Libby App option (or just leaving it at the default setting).
    • Manage Notifications—Use this option to customize the types of notifications you receive from the Libby app.
    • Change Download Rules—Use this to control how Libby downloads your checkouts. By default, everything—including the large files for audiobooks—will be downloaded automatically, but only if you are on Wi-Fi. You can adjust these settings to match your needs.
    • Customize Navigation—Change the way the navigation bar behaves—whether it’s always visible or hides when scrolling and so on. This option also allows you to add labels to the navigation icons in the bottom bar.
    • Choose Your Language—Get help from Libby in customizing the language settings used by the app.

For more instructions and additional help resources, visit the Libby App help page.