Well here’s a first for 5 Heart Rating… I’m replacing one with another and am extremely happy to do so! If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I have touted the Audible app for years. I love the concept of listening to books (Yes, I know it’s not for everyone…) for a variety of reasons, probably the most important being the fact that I feel listening is more dimensional than reading, especially when the narrator is really good. This is often the case when the narrator is also the author of such books as Will, by Will Smith and Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah. (Will is still one of my favorite all-time audio books, since before and after “the slap” heard around the world.) Even as I type this, I wonder if the 5 Heart Rating I gave to Audible should have actually been for audiobooks in general…rather than the app specifically
Not gonna bash Audible (too much) here since that is not the purpose of this blog, but let me just say that the app became increasingly disappointing mostly due to the “customer service” practices or lack thereof.
So, out with the old and in with the new! The Libby app came to my attention when I wanted to get a library card. Libby, where have you been all this time!! Honestly, I am surprised not a single person told me about this app even though I have been talking about and paying for Audible for years. Yes, I get that the paid subscription supports authors, which I am happy to do, but the authors I tend to listen to are already million or billionaires or dead. So there’s that. I supported Audible for a decade and now I’ll support our public libraries for the next decade.
You can use Libby to order and pick up an actual book from your library or you can order an ebook or audiobook to download to your device. If the book is not currently available due to all copies already being reserved, you’ll automatically be added to the queue and be provided information regarding where you are in line. It’s a very simple process. All you need is a library card which you can also get online by going to the Libby website here:
https://libbyapp.com/interview/welcome#doYouHaveACard
Libby will keep you up-to-date regarding your place in line, how many books are available, and how many people per book are waiting. They will also give you a very accurate estimate of when your book will come available. By “book”, of course, I mean whichever version you choose, whether it be hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook. You can set your profile to search exclusively for any of the three loaning options. I have set my profile to search only audiobooks.
Libby has other great characteristics too such as the “shelf” where you’ll find a list of your loans, holds (books you’ve requested), and tags (books you’ve tagged for future interest). The app is fast, precise, and reliable. I’ve used it now for about a month and have already listened to 6 books! Right now, I’m doing something I’ve heard others do – I’m “reading” 3 books at once! If you had told me decades ago that someone who was at the lowest reading level of her first grade class at Sacred Heart Elementary could comprehend, absorb, and retain this much information at once, I would not have believed it. No way!
If you have any questions just visit their website or shoot me a message. Goodbye Audible. Hello Libby!
Also published on Medium.
