Teen Street Team Recommends: Libby
5 mins read

Teen Street Team Recommends: Libby

Have you tried an eBook? How about listening to an eAudiobook while you jog or cook? Get access to thousands of books and magazines (for free!) on your smart device through the Libby app, using your Plano Public Library card.

Libby Quick Facts

  • Ages: Kindergarten through adults
  • Requires: Plano Public Library card and internet access (to download)
  • Compatibility: Apple, Android and any Internet browser

Continue reading for two reviews of the Libby app from Teen Street Team members Thomas and Sana.

Thomas

As a junior in high school, a lot of the classes that I’m taking this year are very important for college admissions next year because they reflect the most recent year worth of grades that colleges will see. As a result, I spend a lot of my time studying and preparing for these classes to perform the best I can. Although junior year is usually regarded as the busiest and hardest year in high school, I’ve been able to keep my habit of reading with a helpful library resource, Libby.

Libby is a free, downloadable app that gives you access to a wide selection of eBooks and eAudiobooks with a tap of your finger. With my Plano Public Library card, I’ve been able to easily download several eBooks and eAudiobooks for offline reading. Since downloading Libby onto my phone, my favorite feature has been being able to borrow eAudiobooks from the library, which I listen to while I’m on the road or on the bus. My books automatically save my progress as I read/listen, and I’m able to pick right where I left off when I open the app later. In fact, I recently enjoyed an audiobook of Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time while riding my bus to school in the morning.

I think that this service will benefit teens like me because no matter how busy life gets, users can still enjoy reading while performing other daily tasks.


Sana

For those of you who enjoy reading eBooks, you are in luck! By using your library card, Libby, an online resource and app, allows you to browse and check out thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks provided by Plano Public Library. Because Libby is an all-in-one platform, meaning you can browse, borrow, hold and more, it is perfect for those who wish to have their reading experience simplified, while also not having to carry around books whenever you want to read. Libby is accessible on iOS, Android, and your own desktop for download, so you can experience the joy of reading wherever and whenever you wish to!

One way that I personally have used the Libby app in the past was for browsing, holding and borrowing books that are only available digitally. For example, in the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson, prerequisites like Sunreach and ReDawn were only available in the eBook or eAudiobook versions. I knew that I had to read them before reading the next books, so I used the Libby app because I could check out books and read them on the same platform. Since I always have my phone on me, I was able to catch up on the stories that I otherwise would’ve had trouble getting access to all through a particularly enjoyable experience. Not only that, but because Libby is an online resource where I can digitally access books, I could read and return books as soon as I finished them, in comparison to having to go to a library to drop off physical books, further adding to the ease of access that Libby provides.

Libby is extremely resourceful for teens because of the ease of access it provides. For many years, I always considered myself a physical book person, never really enjoying the experience of online books. However, Libby completely changed my perspective and has opened me up to the eBook realm. The fact that I could easily take out my phone and pick a book on my bookshelf to read online or offline easily, made me enjoy reading eBooks more and more. This ease of access is extremely resourceful for teens because now they don’t have to carry around books to read.

Not only was the ease of access what made Libby stand out to me, but also the fact that I could really destress while reading. I don’t have as much time to read now in high school, but having an online app as simple as Libby helps me use up whatever time I have to relax and read. The fact that I can utilize the short bursts of time I have to read through Libby has helped bring back the joy of reading that I partially lost in the midst of the pandemic. Libby has not only allowed me to experience new forms of reading, but it also allowed me to enjoy reading more.


To learn about using Libby with your Plano Public Library card, check out our Getting Started Guide and “Something About Libby” blog series, which explores specific features within the app.

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