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eBooks, eAudio, eMags & Streaming: Tech Help

Thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks available anytime and from anywhere you have internet access—free with your library card! Last Updated: Nov 21, 2023 1:35 PM

Libby App — eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines

The library offers free eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines through Libby. You may borrow 10 items at a time and there are no late fees. eMagazine checkouts are unlimited. While items can be returned early, they are returned automatically when the checkout period expires. Libby, by OverDrive and libbyapp.com can be used interchangeably.

Using a Kindle Fire that runs Fire OS 5.0+? You can now download the Libby app directly from the Amazon app store to use OverDrive on your Kindle Fire! See our instructions for Kindle.

What You Will Need

  • Libby, by OverDrive App or libbyapp.com 
  • Valid Fairfax County Library Card and password (PIN). Use the card’s barcode, not your username.
  • Internet Connection
    • Android 5.0+, iOS 10+, or Fire OS 5+
    • Latest version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge for libbyapp.com.

One-Time App Installation

  1. Download and open Libby, by OverDrive from your app store or open libbyapp.com in any browser.
  2. Do you have a library card?Yes.
  3. Tap Search For a Library: enter your zip code. Tap Fairfax County Public Library.
  4. Tap Sign In With My Card, enter your library card number and password. Tap Sign In to use Libby.

Icons in Libby's Footer

Search, Library, Menu, Shelf, Timer icons identified in footer of Libby

Search

Tap the magnifying glassto search. Then:

  • Type a title in the search box, or
  • Select options below Explore with Filters to browse or limit your search. Tap Libby Search Filter icon for more filters. Tap Arrow to return to main search page or < to return to the main search page.

Can't Find What You Want? 

Deep Search allows you to make recommendations for purchase. It broadens your search and will include titles that your libraries do not have.

  • It is automatically applied when results are not found in any of your libraries.
  • You can also enable Deep Search from the list of Filters Libby Search Filter icon and then tap Show Titles to see the enhanced list of results.
  • If none of your linked libraries owns a title in the list of results, Notify Me appears next to the cover; tap it and on the next screen, tap the Notify Me smart tag.
  • To see your Smart Tags, tap on Shelf and then Tags. Tap on Notify Me to see titles you have recommended.
  • Libby will only notify you if any of your linked libraries purchase a title.

Borrow and Read

  • Tap Borrow on available titles. Tap Borrow again to confirm.
  • Tap Open Book or Open Audiobook to read, Keep Browsing, or Go to Shelf. 
  • If prompted, tap Read With… and choose between Kindle and Libby.
  • Tap Shelfto open a list of your borrowed titles.
  • Once open, tap left or right to turn eBook pages.
  • Tap the middle of the screen and use the icons at the top to change font size and lighting or adjust playback speed and set a sleep timer. Tap < Back to return to your Shelf.
  • Tap Shelfto view Magazine Rack and access latest issues of magazines you subscribe to and issues of magazines you've chosen to keep on that device. (See below for more eMagazine tips.)

Holds

If all copies are out, place a hold on a title.

  1. Tap Place Hold. Tap Place Hold to confirm.
  2. After receiving notification that a hold is available, choose one of the following from within Libby or from the notification:

a) Borrow the title within three days.

b) Tap Deliver Later to stay at the top of the holds list while passing the book to the next person in line. After your chosen suspension period, you can borrow the next available copy.

c) Cancel your hold.

If no action is taken within three days, your hold will be automatically suspended one time for seven days. If no action is taken a second time, the hold will be automatically canceled.

ACCESS AND READ eMAGAZINES

Libby's eMagazines are always available, have unlimited checkouts, and now you can subscribe to them! 

  • Tap magnifying glassto search for an eMagazine title. OR
  • Tap ‘magazines’ under Explore With Filters to browse all magazines.
    • You can narrow your search further by selecting Subject(s) or Language(s) under Filters Libby's icon for Filters.     .
  • Use Libby’s new “One Tap” feature.
    • Tap Open Magazine next to a cover to open the issue. There is no need to borrow the title.
    • Tap All Issues to show a list of past issues that you can access.
    • Tap Subscribe, then tap the Notify Me smart tag to add a title to the Magazine Rack on your Shelf. The latest issue will be on that device ready for you to read.
  • To Read, tap the middle of the screen to open and view a page of the magazine. Tap the left or right of the page to advance or go back through pages. Tap the middle of the screen to return to the view with the navigation bar. Look for < Back in the upper left corner to return to Libby.
  • To open a screen-friendly layout of a page or article, tap the middle of the screen to hide the navigation bar. Tap Article(s). If there are multiple articles on a page, tap the one you want from the list to view it. When you are finished reading the article, tap Done to return to the eMagazine.

Renew

  • The option to renew becomes available three days before a title is set to expire.
  • From Shelf or notification, tap Expiring soon. Renew? OR
  • Tap Manage Loan, tap Renew Loan, then Renew. Place a Hold to request it again if others are waiting for it. 

Return

  • Items are returned automatically.
  • Items can be returned early from your Shelf. Tap Manage Loan, tap Return Early, then Return.

Tips for Using Libby! 

  • Check out and download titles from Libby rather than checking them out from our regular catalog.
  • Tap Shelf to view Loans, Holds and Tags; you can then tap Actions to Synchronize Shelf, Read Books With… and Suspend all Holds.
  • In Shelf,icon of a checkmark in libby means a title is downloaded on your device for offline use. Any item with icon of a cloud in libby only streams when online.
  • Tap the Menu , then scroll down and tap Settings to:
    • Find the setup code to onboard Libby to another device.
    • Choose Read Books With… to set your preference for Kindle or Libby.
    • Find Customize Navigation and Manage Notifications.
  • fairfax.overdrive.com remains available.
  • Accessibility tips: bit.ly/fcpllibacc.
  • Go to Libby’s help page for more help: help.libbyapp.com/
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