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You can buy ebooks from Amazon, Apple, Google, and other digital retailers, but why spend money when you can borrow them from your local library? If your library is signed up with Libby or Hoopla, you can browse, borrow, and read books directly through the app.
Audiobooks, magazines, and other digital content are also available to borrow in your app of choice. Some apps even let you send ebooks to the Amazon Kindle app, where it's easier to read.
The first thing you’ll need is an account with your public or university library. If you plan to visit the library and borrow books, you need a physical card; if you just want to borrow ebooks, some libraries offer a virtual library card instead.
Your library should also provide login information so you can sign in to your online account and borrow ebooks. If you require a barcode to scan into an app, it should be printed on the library card you receive. If you're unsure how the enrollment process works, or are wondering what services you can use, contact your library or check its website.
Libby
For years the best option to borrow ebooks was the OverDrive app, but that has since been quietly replaced by Libby, a full-fledged app through which you can search for, borrow, and read ebooks from your library. Download the iOS, Android, Windows, or Kindle Fire version of the app. You may also see links to download the app on your library’s website if the service is supported.
The first time you launch the app on your mobile device, it asks if you have a library card. Answer Yes, then copy your card information from another device, search for your library, or have Libby guess your library based on your location. Select your library, then enter the details for your library account.
After setting up your account and signing in, you're taken to the app's main screen where you can search for books by title, author, subject, and other criteria. You can also browse by subject as well as by specific titles chosen and recommended by librarians.
When you find an ebook you want to borrow, tap the thumbnail to read the book’s description, view ratings, check out a sample, tag it as a favorite, or see if it’s available to borrow. If it is so, tap the Borrow link, then confirm your decision.
If the book is not available, you'll see a Hold button, which you can tap if you wish to automatically borrow the book when it becomes available.
Once the book has been downloaded to your device, tap Open Book. You can read a downloaded book in the Libby app or the Kindle app. Choose where you want to read it, and the title will open in the appropriate app.
With the book open, tap anywhere on the screen to search for text, switch between a two-column and one-column view, bookmark a page, and access various settings.
You can view all your borrowed books from the main screen of the Libby app. Tap the Books icon at the bottom to view your loans, holds, and tags, and access the book you're currently reading.
If at any point you want to send your borrowed book from Libby to the Kindle app, go to your Shelf and tap the Manage Loan link for the book you want to send over, then select the Read With option. Tap the Kindle Apps & Devices option and sign in with your Amazon account.
At the Amazon page, use the drop-down menu to select the device to which you want to send the book. Tap the Get Library Book button. You can then open the Kindle app on your device and select the book to begin reading.
Hoopla
Hoopla lets you borrow, download, and read ebooks. However, Hoopla also offers access to movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, and comics. The app supports iOS, Android and Chrome OS, and Amazon tablets. Hoopla also works with Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, and Roku so you can stream video content to your television.
In order to check out ebooks, you must first sign up for an account at the Hoopla website. This account is separate from your library account. By default, Hoopla searches for the closest libraries based on your location. Select a library to continue.
Download the Hoopla app on your mobile device and sign in with your Hoopla account. At the main screen, tap the Books icon and then the Ebooks header to look for ebooks. Tap a book that interests you to see more details about it.
Tap the Borrow button to add the book to your library, then tap the Read button to download the book and start reading.
While inside the reader, tap anywhere on the screen to access options to bookmark your current page, view the Table of Contents, change the font, and search for text.
To access your borrowed books at any time, tap the My Hoopla icon in the lower left of the bottom toolbar and select the heading for Borrowed.
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