Have you been using OverDrive to get eBooks and audio books for a long time? Well, there is a change coming, and it’s name is Libby.
OverDrive, the company that provides eBooks and audiobooks to Heights Libraries, will retire the Overdrive app by the end of 2022, and is encouraging current users to switch to Libby, the official replacement for the OverDrive app.
When is Overdrive Going Away?
OverDrive will remove the OverDrive app from the Apple App Store, Google Play, and the Microsoft Store on February 23, 2022. This means that after Feb. 23, 2022, you will no longer be able to download and use the OverDrive app from your apps store on your mobile device. OverDrive is discontinuing support of the OverDrive App and they hope to have all OverDrive App users switched over to the Libby App by end of 2022 and the eventual retirement of the app. So, what does this mean for you?
After Feb 23, 2022, if you have the OverDrive app you will be able to keep using it, but as time goes on the app will eventually get retired and not work.
Now would be a great time to switch to Libby!
Libby, launched by Overdrive in 2017, is a great app that brings you both eBooks and audio books for free with your Cleveland Heights – University Heights Public Library card. Libby has even won a few awards like Apple Editor’s Choice Award, the Apple App of the Day Award and the Google Play Editor’s Choice Award and has been praised by magazines such as Forbes, Readers Digest, Popular Science, and Library Journal.
Here are a few features that Libby offers:
- Read across devices: All your loans, notes, bookmarks, and reading progress sync across your devices. That means you can have your book to read on your cell phone and your tablet so that while one is charging you can continue to read on the other.
- Offline access: Download eBooks and audiobooks for offline reading, or stream them to save space. Download a book and take it with you on a trip without having to use up your data. Or stream them using WIFI and save storage on your mobile device.
- Listen in your car: Enjoy audiobooks in your car through Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or a Bluetooth connection. Download an audiobook and listen on your long commute to work, or that road trip you’re taking with the family.
- Send to Kindle: If you prefer reading on your Kindle, Libby can send your library books to it. (U.S. libraries only) If you have a Kindle e-reader you can get eBooks from the library with the Libby app and have them on your Kindle device.
- Browse, search, and discover: There are thousands of eBooks and audiobooks, hand-selected by Heights Libraries, available for reading. Explore the collection through catalog guides, subjects, featured titles, and curated lists.
- A state-of-the-art reading experience: Libby’s eBook reader makes it easy to customize how you read. You can adjust an eBook’s font size, book layout, and lighting. As you read, you can also add bookmarks, create notes and highlights, and define words.
- An intuitive and beautiful audiobook player: Libby makes it simple to listen when, where, and how you want. Swipe on the book cover to skip backward or forward. Increase playback speed up to 3x. Set a sleep timer until the end of the chapter or for 5, 10, 30 minutes, or more.
How do you get the Libby App? Simply download it from your app store, either the Apple Store or Google Play. If you are a PC user, you can go to https://libbyapp.com/ and use Libby on your PC. You can check out Heights Libraries’ video tutorials in this blog post for help getting started with Libby once it’s downloaded!
Is Libby free? Yes, Libby is completely free. It’s free to install, and there are no subscription costs, no in-app purchases, and no late fees. All you need is a valid CHUH Library card or eMedia Card.
What are you waiting for? Switch now to Libby and continue getting all the great audio and eBooks you love with an award-winning app. It’s simple, easy and fun!