Libby is a
mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
that supports users in accessing
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
services. It is a product of
OverDrive, Inc.
In March 2023, OverDrive, Inc. announced it would sunset the legacy OverDrive mobile app on May 1, 2023, having already requested that library systems delete references to the legacy app directing public, academic and corporate libraries and its users to its newer Libby app.
Libby mobile app
The Libby mobile app requests users's
library card
A library card can refer to several cards traditionally used for the management of books and patrons in a library. In its most common use, a library card serves similar functions as a corporate membership card. A person who holds a library card ...
.
With the library card, Libby connects to the user's account at the library and provides support in checking out books.
The intent is improved service and ease of accessing the library instead of using the library's own website.
A reviewer for ''
Literary Review of Canada
The ''Literary Review of Canada'' is a Canadian magazine that publishes ten times a year in print and online. The magazine features essays and reviews of books on political, cultural, social, and literary topics, as well as original Canadian poet ...
'' praised Libby's management of reading data, including books read and books in queue for reading.
A reviewer for ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' called Libby one of the best apps of 2018.
''
Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'' named Libby as one of the best apps of the 2010s.
According to OverDrive CEO Steve Potash, as of 2023, Libby is used by approximately "90% of public libraries in North America".
Free library services of the sort supported by Libby are unusual in a time period when almost all such services come from commercial vendors.
See also
*
Hoopla (digital media service)
Hoopla (stylized as hoopla) is a web and mobile ( Android/ iOS) library media streaming platform launched in 2010 for audio books, comics, e-books, movies, music, and TV. Patrons of a library that supports Hoopla have access to its collection o ...
*
Kanopy
Kanopy is an on-demand streaming video platform for public and academic libraries that offers films, TV shows and documentaries. The service is free for users, but content owners and content creators are paid on a pay-per-view model by the in ...
*
Libro.fm
References
{{reflist
EPUB readers
Book rental
Audiobook companies and organizations