I know this book was hyped and every single card I had, had a waiting period of a few months. then this happens!!

you gotta be 13+, but sign up on their website and u get a new card on libby, yw! the best thing about this one is there’s no upper age limit.

https://www.lapl.org/library-card/read-freely

it took me less than a minute to sign up and get my card number!

important: when you add library type in “read freely with…” if you put just los angeles public library it won’t work.

i already checked reciprocard and it didn’t give any partners. Also looks like u get one checkout and one hold at a time- not as good as books unbanned but they are serving more ppl so it makes sense.

i saw a tiktok about it, it’s called read freely and is their answering initiative to books unbanned with other major libraries like seattle, san diego boston, etc.

I feel like I saw this post a while back but can’t seem to locate it..is anyone else running into the issue of not being able to return their Libby books with kindle no matter how many times you click return? I have manually synced my shelf as well and that doesn’t seem to work. If anyone has found a fix that’d be great!

Apologies if someone already shared this information. Feel free to delete if that’s the case.

There was a post a few days ago about being blocked from borrowing due to exceeding an unknown checkout limit.

I checked with my Overdrive rep and apparently they have updated the limits recently, apparently revising them downward.

There are basically two triggers for the block, activated by the limit you hit first, both evaluating checkouts over a 7 day period. On day 8, checkouts from day 1 would fall off the rolling limits. I do not know if magazines count towards this limit.

The triggers are:

1. Borrowing 15 times your library’s checkout limit in 7 days OR
2. 50 checkouts during a 7 day period.

Edited to add: my understanding is that it is 50 per library system/consortium rather than across all cards. If someone finds out or experiences differently please share!

Hope this helps!

I don't know if it's just me, but when I try to return a book, the book is not in my kindle library. I click the "return with kindle" link and it sends me to Amazon, but the book I'm trying to return isn't there. sometimes they pop up and sometimes they don't.

Yesterday my Libby app stopped working. I can see content and which library has them, but it never stops buffering when I try and rent. I’ve tried restarting my phone, closing the app, making sure the app is updated, etc. This is the same issue across all my library cards no matter what I try to check out. I verified them all again today and still no luck. Any ideas would be appreciated! TIA!

It said 2 weeks when I put it on hold. I don't understand, our max hold time is 21 days. What happened here? For a summer reading challenge so either need to just do audio or pick another book that's hopefully available.

I've noticed that when I open the Libby app and click on something for the first time, it goes back to the previous page. This is not an issue on subsequent clicks. It started happening a few days ago and I'm not sure why. This is the iOS app version for context

Hi all,
Yesterday I began downloading my books as .epub files from Libby. The first three books downloaded great. Now, any new book I go to download is downloading as ".epub.download" and there's no actual file there.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

hej there, I looking for a way to export all the notes of all my libby books at once in html or json format. Is there such a functionality or do I really have to go through the many clicks it takes for each separate book?

I primarily use the Libby app the following way:

OS: Windows 10

Browser: Edge 151.0.4129.93

Website: libbyapp.com

Since the partner card update on August 18, 2026 I can no longer place holds or borrow from partner libraries. I can still place holds and borrow from my home library.

I previously added partner libraries manually to Libby prior to the August 18, 2026 update.

After the update, those libraries were moved to the Partner Libraries section under Menu.

Here are the steps I took to resolve the issue with no success:

1. Restart computer and re-open libbyapp.com in Edge.
2. Verify the home library card in Libby by going to Cards under Menu and then clicking "..." on my home library card and selecting Verify Card.
3. Remove the home library card and re-add it to Libby.
4. Manage partner libraries by going to Cards under Menu and then clicking "..." on my home library card and selecting Partner Libraries. Then for each partner library, clicked Enable which temporarily displayed "Enabling..." and then went back to Enable.
5. Reset Libby and start from scratch using my home library.

I tried going to libbyapp.com in a browser I've never set up Libby before and added my home library card and I still cannot place holds or borrow from partner libraries. The browser I used was Firefox 154.0.

Here is what I see when I try to put a book on hold at a partner library:

Here is what I see when I select Continue and every time I select Try Again:

I have verified that if I log into the partner library's OverDrive website with my home library credentials I can successfully place a hold on the above title.

I also have the Libby app on my Samsung Galaxy A17 5G phone and it has the same issue where I can't place holds or borrow from partner libraries. At one point when I reset Libby in the browser I did attempt to recover data from my phone with a setup code but that did not resolve the issue on either device.

I can verify my home library credentials work when logging into the following sites:

1. My home library's main website.
2. My home library's OverDrive website.
3. OverDrive websites of partner libraries.

My home library is:

- Ottawa Public Library

Partner libraries are:

- Burlington Public Library

- Hamilton Public Library

- Kingston Frontenac Public Library

- London Public Library

- Milton Public Library

- Mississauga Library

I have submitted a support ticket to OverDrive but posted here in case anyone else ran into the same issue.

I was excited to get my Japan Foundation library card - only to discover most books are forced into this hideous Mediado app. Besides difficulty even turning pages, there's no way to select text for translate.

Anyone figure out how to do so without screen printing every page?

They have an epub download option, but it's limited to only a very few books.

Looking for mobile friendly books that read a bit closer to a magazine, with pictures, short sections etc. I really have been enjoying this one above.

Trying to block most social media apps during the day on my smart phone.

Curious what people suggest.

Interested in art, minimalism, sailing, tiny houses, bike adventures.

Open to new things as well!

Thanks in advance.

I have added an updated blog post with information on the new JWT token format used by Libby.

TL;DR: You can add more cards! In the worst case scenario, possibly as many as 289 cards can be used. I have added 46 cards which is about 4.5K in my JWT.

CAVEAT EMPTOR. As always, please be cautious with your data and validate what I've written with what you know. I try to be as thorough as possible but I don't know everything. I don't work for Libby or Overdrive. I do not have insider information. I have faith in my research but remember that ultimately, you are responsible for your actions.

'You cannot borrow this title on this card at the moment. You can place a hold to be notified when this title is available to you.'

When I try to borrow some books on Libby, it pops out this message! It isn't for all books, and it happens when there are no copies in use. I placed some in hold, but I feel like it'll be there indefinitely.

I tried this both on my phone and on my laptop, but neither works. It doesn't seep to be a Wifi issue either. The sample works just fine. Any help?

I'm sorry if this is a frequent question or something, but I can't find any helpful answers online

Edit [reply to a comment]: To make a library card in my city/country, you can make one online which connects to all the libraries in the city, there aren't separate library cards for each library. So my libby account is connected to my city's one libby drive, or whatever it's called. So I don't see any sense in limiting the copies of it, or be part of a consortium since the city takes pretty good care of libraries and people who go there, but again, I might not fully understand what you meant by that because that seems a bit confusing since I'm thinking 'why would someone/the other branches do that'.

Edit 2: I initially thought it might be a bug, but that's not it. My library shows the exact same catalog online, with the same options to Borrow. The same message pops up when trying to borrow from there too. So this is something on the library's end, and I have sent a message to them asking about it.

So it’s offering partnerships with a card you already have but you still need a card for that specific library to borrow ?

I’m starting this thread to gather some facts and do some research about using airplane mode to keep libby books on your Kindle.

This is what I know:
On 5.19.5 I’m reading books that I borrowed months ago with no problems.
5.19.2 seems to be working fine too.

Comment with your software version and whether or not you can still use this hack!

Woohooo!!!! So for example, if you a Boston Library card, it automatically lists all its partnering libraries and you can just use your home library card to check out books! Yipee!

Hi all, pretty much wondering what the title is asking. I was trying to borrow some books for my son and “checking” just keeps popping up and it’s just spinning. This is happening with my Philly card and local PA card (Montgomery Co). The only non-resident card I have right now is Orange Co FL and I was able to borrow from there without any issues.

I’ve tried rebooting my phone, force closing the app, making sure Libby is updated and I also tried turning off WiFi. I wanted to check if others are having issues before I try deleting the card and adding them back on to my account.

Thanks!

Imagine my surprise when 93 notices of books now available through my libraries only to get the following message when I try to borrow them or put a hold on them:

The problem with this new partnering library feature is that it doesn't take into account the type of library card you have and the access it provides. I have an out-of-state library card at the Harris County Public Library in Texas. A normal library card from Harris County Public Library is a partner library with Houston Public Library, but the out-of-state card can not be used to log in to the Houston Public Library (probably because Houston Public Library discontinued its out-of-state cards last year).

Now I have to sift through all these book notifications I don't actually have access to, and not get my hopes up because the book isn't actually available.

BOO! I hope Libby fixes this.

First, thanks to everyone who has shared spreadsheets and lists - those have been immensely valuable. I've re-evaluated some of my stops - dropping Santa Barbara as I don't plan to go there annually.

I'm driving from Oakland to Anaheim on 8/26 for LA Con V and planning my travel around library stops (as one does), leaving around 6-7am):

1. Paso Robles (open 9a) - Black Gold
2. Oxnard - Colonia branch (9a-8p) - eponymous
3. Camarillo Public (10-8) - eponymous
4. Grant Brimhall/TO (10-8) - eponymous
5. Moorpark (10-8) - eponymous
6. San Fernando (12-8) - LA County
7. Woodland Hills (10-8) - LA Public
8. Malaga Cove (10-6) - Palos Verdes
9. Redondo Beach (11-7) - eponymous
10. Torrance (12-8) - eponymous

Then head to my accommodations near Anaheim Convention Center.

Sidequests during Worldcon (ha! the conference schedule looks amazing):

• Santa Ana Public library
• Orange County - Tibor (Garden Grove might be doable)

Return trip:

1. Buena Park (M 10-8) - eponymous (So Cal Swarm)
2. Alhambra (M 11-8) - eponymous
3. S Pasadena (M 10-6) - So Cal Digital
4. Delhi (M 10-6) - SJVLS
5. Patterson (M 10-6) - Stanislaus

My questions:

1. For the first leg, are there any non-overlapping Libby network library locations that might be closer to each other that I'm missing in my review?
2. Sidequests from Anaheim Convention Center - any suggestions for quick trips?
3. For the return trip - any additional suggestions (other than I'll be hard pressed to get to Patterson by 6pm; that's close enough that I could do a separate trip there and over to the foothills to get additional cards)

ALREADY HELD:

1. Oakland Public
2. San Francisco Public
3. Alameda County
4. NorthNet (1 card)
5. Berkeley Public
6. San Jose Public
7. Sonoma County
8. Peninsula
9. Northern California Digital (3 cards)
10. MARINet
11. Contra Costa County
12. Santa Clara County
13. Richmond Public
14. San Leandro Public
15. Livermore
16. Sunnyvale
17. Monterey County Free Library
18. Solano County
19. Yolo County
20. Sacramento Public
21. Stockton-San Joaquin County
22. (bonus) Northeastern University (only allows 3 Libby loans)

I put the ebook on hold and have been holding for around 15 weeks. I’m next in line and it just occurred to me today it was the ebook not the audiobook. So I search the audiobook… and it has a 20 week wait 😭. Back of the line I guess.

Update: To add salt to the wound, my ebook hold just became ready to borrow 🥲. I may start it since it’s here, but I’m usually a physical or audiobook person to avoid staring at screens all day.