You see Libby get referenced a lot in the online book world, but not everyone knows what it is. I will fully admit it took me an embarrassingly long time to actually figure out how you use it. So, I thought I’d explain it. Libby is a free online book borrowing service through your local library. Not every library offers it, but most do. To use it, you need a library card.

Depending on your local library, you may be able to do this online but I had to go to the physical location. Which for me was highly annoying because I’m two miles from the nearest library, but it’s on the other side of the county line. The nearest library I could join was nearly a thirty-minute drive. Bleh. Once you have your card, pull up the main screen and follow the prompts. Use the info from your card to sign into your local library, then you have access to all the books they make available on Libby, FOR FREE.

The bummer is, unlike Kindle Unlimited, they don’t have unlimited copies. So, often you have to put a request in for a hold on a book and wait for it to become available. I currently have a 28 week wait for Book Lovers. If there’s a series you want to read, go ahead and request all of the books. Normally the later books will pop faster than the first books in the series, but you can delay the holds to get them delivered later.

Now the best part is when your book becomes available, and you get to hit “Read With Kindle”. It’ll give you the option to send it to the Kindle app on your phone, or your actual Kindle. And then you have the length of your loan to enjoy the book. It’s usually 14 Days or 21 Days