Libby works best when you tune its search, holds, downloads, and reading options to the way you use your library. These 10 tips can make discovery and borrowing smoother, but available titles and some features depend on your library, device, and—in the case of Kindle delivery—country. Libby offers library ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines; you need a library card to borrow.
1. Add every library card you can use
If you already have cards from more than one library, add them in Libby so you can browse and borrow from each collection. Open the menu, choose Add Library or the option to add a card, and follow the prompts. You can switch between libraries as you browse. Each library selects its own catalog, so adding a card broadens the collections you can check but does not guarantee that a particular title is available.
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2. Pin the filters you use most
In search or browsing, filter by options such as format, availability, audience, language, or Kindle compatibility. Pin filters you regularly need so they are easy to reuse. A pinned filter stays active until you remove it, which can make results look unusually sparse if you forget it is on. If a search seems to be missing likely matches, review and clear filters before trying again.
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3. Search for an exact phrase, then sort
Put a phrase in quotation marks to look for that exact wording, then narrow the results with the filters and sort options available on that screen. The choices can differ by list or library. For example, if a broad search returns too many titles, try the distinctive words from a title in quotation marks and then filter by format or availability.
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- 7” E Ink Carta 1300 screen – sharp contrast and paper-like
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- Adaptive SMARTlight – choose warmer or cooler screen tones
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4. Turn tags into reading queues
Tags let you collect titles from any of your libraries without depending on a book being available to borrow right now. Create tags for specific purposes—such as “next audiobooks,” “book club,” or “weekend reads”—and add titles as you find them. You can sort, filter, export, rename, or delete a tag, and create as many as you need. A tag organizes your list; it does not change a title’s wait time or availability.
5. Use Notify Me to signal interest in missing titles
When a library offers the feature and a title displays Notify Me, save it to the Notify Me tag to signal your interest. The library may notify you if it adds the title; this is not a promise that it will do so. Libby’s Notify Me smart tags can also track some newly added works by saved authors or series, as well as new magazine issues. Alerts appear in the app, and availability depends on the library.
6. Keep holds from expiring unnoticed
Libby shows your wait-list position and lets you suspend or cancel a hold. When a held title becomes available, you have 72 hours (3 days) to borrow it, suspend the hold, or cancel it, according to Libby Help’s current guidance, last updated September 3, 2026. Choose a notification method you can check in time, and look at your Shelf so a ready hold does not pass its action window.
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Libby offers push, in-app, and email notifications depending on the platform. Browser users cannot receive push notifications, and Fire tablets do not support them either; use in-app or email notices where available. Review notification settings in Libby and choose an option suited to the device you actually use, rather than relying on a push alert that your platform cannot deliver.
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- COLOR E INK DISPLAY: The 7-inch Kaleido 3 screen delivers sharp black-and-white text and vivid colors. Perfect for ebooks, comics, and magazines with a sharp, paper-like reading experience.
- EYE-FRIENDLY SMARTLIGHT: SMARTlight technology lets you adjust brightness and color temperature to match your environment. Enjoy a glare-free experience whether you read at night or in daylight.
- WATERPROOF & LONG-LASTING: With IPX8 waterproof protection, this ereader is safe from splashes, rain, and drops in water. The strong battery keeps you reading for up to one month on a single charge.
- AUDIOBOOK & MUSIC READY: Built-in speakers and Bluetooth give you the freedom to listen your way. The Text-to-Speech function transforms ebooks into spoken word, turning every text title into an audiobook.
- STORAGE & CONNECTIVITY: 32GB internal memory offers ample space for ebooks and audiobooks. WiFi, USB-C, PocketBook Cloud, Dropbox, and Send-to-PocketBook make syncing and transferring content simple.
8. Set up downloads for offline use
In the mobile app, ebooks and audiobooks download automatically over Wi-Fi by default, and you can adjust download settings. Magazines do not download automatically. Libby in a browser requires an internet connection, so it is not an offline-reading option. If you expect to read or listen without connectivity, check that the relevant ebook or audiobook has downloaded in the app before leaving Wi-Fi.
9. Choose a loan period and return finished books early
If your library offers more than one loan period, choose the duration on the checkout confirmation screen. To see a loan’s due date or return it before then, go to Shelf > Loans > Manage Loan and choose Return Early when available. Libby automatically returns loans on their due date, according to its getting-started guide.
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10. Send eligible U.S. library ebooks to a Kindle e-reader
For most eligible ebooks borrowed from U.S. libraries, open Shelf > Loans, select Read With… > Kindle, then finish the delivery process by choosing Get Library Book on Amazon. Kindle delivery is available only in the U.S. and does not apply to every book. You can also read in the Libby app; a Kindle e-reader is optional, not a requirement for using Libby.
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Libby’s quick-start guidance describes a recovery passkey as a way to help restore cards, loans, holds, and tags on another device. Keep the passkey somewhere you can access if you need to set up Libby again; it can spare you from rebuilding your library setup and reading lists from scratch.
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