9 Reasons To Switch To The Libby App Today
Earlier this year, OverDrive (our digital partner) stopped updating and maintaining their OverDrive app, which many Listening Books members have been using for a long time as a way of listening to our audiobooks.
If you have the OverDrive app and the OverDrive console (OMC) already installed on your device, these changes will not affect you for now, and you can continue to use them. However, OverDrive has stopped support and updates to the app and console, and they are no longer available to download online from app stores.
That’s why we’re encouraging all our members to try out OverDrive’s new app: Libby! This app is also free and has much of the functionality of the previous app, plus many fantastic additional features. Read on to learn more about how Libby can support and enhance your listening experience!
1. Libby lets you listen offline
When you borrow an audiobook using the Libby app, the audio will automatically download onto your device so that you can listen without an internet connection. When you return the book, the downloaded file will automatically delete from your device without you having to lift a finger! This feature is ideal for those who like to listen on the go, as it doesn’t require you to use mobile data in order to enjoy a good book. And for members concerned about audiobooks taking up precious storage space, automatic downloads can be disabled in the app’s settings section. To find out more about managing your download settings in Libby, please click here.
2. Libby syncs across your devices
If you’re someone who tends to listen to a book across multiple devices, Libby’s got you covered! As you make your way through an audiobook, your listening progress updates across all your devices that have the Libby app installed on them, meaning that you can always easily pick up where you left off, even if you’ve swapped devices since your last listening session.
3. Libby saves your place (even if your book gets returned)
In fact, Libby is so good at saving your place that it will even remember where you were in an audiobook that was returned before you finished it! Those of you who like to put a book down for weeks, months, or even years at a time can rest easy knowing that whenever you want to return to a story, Libby will be waiting for you with a virtual bookmark in just the right place.
4. Libby allows you to adjust narration speed
Whether you like to whizz through your audiobooks at lightning speed or savour each word, Libby is here to help! The app lets you adjust playback within a range of 0.6 times speed to 3 times speed, allowing you to listen at your own pace. For instructions on changing playback speed, please click here.
5. Libby lets you set a sleep timer
Completely losing your place after falling asleep to an audiobook is a struggle that many bedtime listeners know all too well! Luckily, Libby gives you the option to set a sleep timer that will stop your audiobook playing after an interval of 5 to 120 minutes, or simply at the end of your current chapter. This feature is perfect not only for listening before bed, but also for those who want to easily manage their time spent on the app. Grabbing 15 minutes of an audiobook without overrunning on your lunch break has never been easier! To learn how to set a sleep timer, please click here.
6. Libby supports screen readers
You can use iOS VoiceOver, Android TalkBack, and desktop screen readers (like NVDA and JAWS) while in the Libby app, so that you can browse and borrow titles, listen to audiobooks and read ebooks more accessibly.
7. Libby lets you add labels to its footer icons for easier navigation
The ability to add labels to footer icons is another of Libby’s helpful accessibility features that allows listeners to have a smoother and clearer book browsing experience! For more information on adding footer icons in Libby, please click here.
8. Libby's interface is available in 10 languages
With Libby, you can browse collections, search for titles, adjust your settings and more in English, Spanish, Canadian French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian or Swedish! You can change your language preferences in the app’s settings, or, if your device is already set to one of these languages, the app will adjust its display automatically. To find out how to change the display language in Libby, please click here.
9. Libby is free!
And last (but by no means least) is the fact that you can enjoy all of these wonderful features for free! As a Listening Books member, changing over to the Libby app comes at no extra cost to you, and is very quick and easy to do - so what are you waiting for? Give Libby a go today!
Not a Listening Books member? To sign up and receive access to over 10,000 audiobooks, please click here.
Click here to view PDF instructions on how to download and set up Libby.
Alternatively, click here to view a short tutorial on how to download and set up Libby.
If you have any questions about how to download, set up or use Libby, we’re here to help! Please contact our friendly membership team by emailing support@listening-books.org.uk, or call 020 7407 9417.
Author: Emily Pye
