Loaning Library Books Via Libby: 10 Helpful Tips

As I'm writing this blog post, I've been using Libby for 3, almost 4, months. Honestly, I can't tell you how much I love this app. But there are some things I've learned while using the app. Here are some 10 tips that I hope help you all out in using this app.

Tip 1: Limit the number of books you borrow at a time. Yes, the Libby app has a built in limit (which I haven't met yet). But putting your own limit on how many books you're borrowing at once helps you space out your reading. The loan time is 21 days. If you're borrowing 2+ books at the same time, it can be tough to read a good amount with that time.

Tip 2: Think about the books you want to read as soon as possible, and place a hold on them. You may not be able to get access to a loan as soon as you want, but at least the hold is in place for you, and you're in the line to get the book. Remember to take Tip 1 into account, because it's possible that you could get access to 2+ books at the same time.

Tip 3: If there is a popular book you'd like to get your hands on a loan for, place a hold on it as soon as possible. This way, the line for the loan isn't too long.

Tip 4: If you get a skip-the-line loan, consider the book before you accept it. A skip-the-line loan is only 7 days in comparison to the normal 21-day loan. Is it a book you'll be able to finish in 7 days, or will you need more time for it? You do need to take your personal schedule - work and otherwise - into account for this tip. Please know that you can't renew the loans if it's a skip-the-line loan. This is something to take into account when considering a skip-the-line loan.

Tip 5: Don't rush your reading pace for the sake of the loan period. Yes, the loan period is only 21 days (or 7 days if you got access to a skip-the-line loan). But if you need more time to read the book, you can always renew your loan if it's not the skip-the-line loan.

Tip 6: Keep track of your time with the loan. I know I said to not rush your reading pace in Tip 5, but be aware of the time limit on your loan. This way, you can know when you're able to renew your loan if you need, and you can also balance it out with how much time you may need to finish the book.

Tip 7: Have the Kindle and Libby apps on your iPad or phone. You can read the book(s) you're loaning via the Libby app, but having the Kindle app to read the books with also comes in handy. In my personal experience, I tend to prefer reading with Kindle because I can mark the book as "currently reading" on Goodreads and see what parts other people highlighted.

Tip 8: Use the tags feature on the Libby app. I have found that these have come in handy quite a bit, because I can find books I liked, didn't like, different genres, etc. so much easier in the Libby app if I need to refer to those books for whatever reason.

Tip 9: Don't force yourself to finish a book you're loaning from a library. As I've said in other posts related to this tip, you shouldn't force yourself to finish a book. You can always pick it up again later.

Tip 10: This tip is more so about loaning library books in general, but create a shelf on your Goodreads account of all the books that were library loans. This way, you're able to scroll through the books you've read that are just library books and see which ones you'd want to read again, or even buy,