Unlock free digital goodies (thanks to your local library)
Your local library likely offers ebooks as well as audiobooks, and magazines. It’s all free of charge, and you can access it with a single, easy-to-use app on your phone or tablet. (Prefer an ereader? My Kindle is one of my favorite gadgets — and this app lets you get free stuff on your Kindle, too.)
➜ It’s called Libby, and it’s long been an app I recommend to everyone.
Libby is widely available in the U.S. and Canada, with many libraries supporting it. It’s available in 78 countries around the world — you’ll have check the Libby website to see whether it works with your local library.
You can get started in a minute or two — as long as you have a free library card.
You can download the Libby app for Android from Google Play, get it for iPhone or iPad on the App Store, or use it online on the Libby website.
You’ll just need to provide a library card to continue. Don’t have one? The app will help you find your nearby library — and you may even be able to sign up for a library card online.
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Then, browse or search for an ebook you want to read or an audiobook you want to listen to. You can check it out for free — or place a “hold” and get a notification when it’s available.
Libby will let you read books on your phone — a great alternative to scrolling social media when you have some time to spare — and it can play audiobooks in your car with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, or Bluetooth, too.
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You can also use a “Send to Kindle” feature to send library books to your Kindle ereader and read them there, but for some reason this feature is only available in the U.S.
Libby is great — and, unlike a lot of tools out there, it is a no-questions-asked, totally free service. Give it a try!
Want more ebooks, audiobooks, or other free goodies courtesy of your library? Check this stuff out:
- Kanopy: Ad-free streaming movies, documentaries, and video series.
- Hoopla: Movies, TV shows, comics, music, and more.
- Freegal Music: Streaming music and music downloads.
These services are all brought to you by your local library, so not all libraries may offer them. They were suggested by our pal Jared Newman in his excellent Advisorator newsletter.
Or, check out some bonuses from services you may already be paying for:
- Spotify audiobooks: Do you pay for Spotify Premium? If so, you should be aware that Spotify now offers audiobooks! You get 15 hours of audiobooks included with your subscription each month.
- Prime ebooks: Do you pay for Amazon Prime? If so, you have access to a free catalog of ebooks with Prime Reading. (For example, you can read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for free with a Prime membership.)
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Libby is 100% free.
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