I’ve never liked e-books. When it comes to books, I like curling up with a physical copy and feeling the coarse texture of the paper as I flip the pages. It’s an element that adds to the enjoyment. However, when I entered college, I found myself reading less and less. My reading list went from four books a month to zero. I made countless goals in my planner to read more, but they always dwindled to the lowest priority. Even though living five minutes from the library was a privilege, I found myself turning away from the source. All this changed when I discovered Libby.
My brother introduced me to the Libby app early this year. It’s available on the Google Play Store and the Apple Store. All you need to do is download the app, sign in with your library account, and connect to your local branch.
Once you’re in the app, you will be able to search for and read all the books you want. The app already has curated lists of new, popular, and available books. You’re able to borrow five books/audiobooks at a time and can have 10 books/audiobooks on hold (this depends on how many branches you’re connected with). The app allows you to read within the app or with Kindle.
I used to spite all my friends who read e-books, but after downloading this app, I have been converted. Reading a physical book is still favorable, but Libby makes life so much easier. Since it’s an app, I can pull it out when I’m commuting to and from school. Waiting at the doctor’s office is not so boring now. The COVID-19 “Stay Home” rule is looking to be a lot easier with the app. Â
Libby also has changeable settings for how you like to read. You can change the size of the text, the screen color, and look at how far you’ve read. There are options to bookmark and highlight important parts that you want to take note of.
As cliché as it may be, Libby has truly changed the way I read. Just a few taps and without the trip to the library, I’m reading a lot more than I have in several months. Having a book/audiobook being on hold is not as torturous when there are so many other titles to choose from.
