Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One issue I have is that Libby does not keep track of past borrowed items. I know after 9/11 for concerns re:civil liberties, a lot of libraries stopped keeping borrowing histories (I worked in libraries back then)--but I really would like to see the list of what I have read/listened to Ober the years

Libby has all the titles I’ve borrowed in the smart tags section, in the “borrowed” smart tag. Do these disappear at some point?

At least for Alexandria Library, I only see borrowed items for 2023, nothing from past years

My library website no longer has any way to recommend books for purchase. They deleted the feature, probably to force people to use Libby. I’m not sure if Libby really works that way. There is very little online documentation.

Anonymous wrote:Just a thought: maybe those who love Libby can help those who don’t instead of this being a miserable thread.

People are sharing things that can be addressed. Like - there was a post about how to “recommend” a book. Someone had shared just prior that there is a “notify me” smart tag that functions in a somewhat similar way. It shows the library you want that book. Can also request the book through your library’s website.

However, a lot of what people don’t like are things that don’t have solutions. The exact function, the way it was done in overdrive simply does not exist, or exist in the way they like, in Libby.

Anonymous wrote:One issue I have is that Libby does not keep track of past borrowed items. I know after 9/11 for concerns re:civil liberties, a lot of libraries stopped keeping borrowing histories (I worked in libraries back then)--but I really would like to see the list of what I have read/listened to Ober the years

Libby has all the titles I’ve borrowed in the smart tags section, in the “borrowed” smart tag. Do these disappear at some point?

One issue I have is that Libby does not keep track of past borrowed items. I know after 9/11 for concerns re:civil liberties, a lot of libraries stopped keeping borrowing histories (I worked in libraries back then)--but I really would like to see the list of what I have read/listened to Ober the years

Anonymous wrote:I like Libby. It took a little time to get used to it but now I prefer it to overdrive. Each new app takes time to get used to. If it is a copy or a remake of an old one, what the point. Keep an open mind when trying something new. New features aren’t always intuitive if you expect it to work like an old one.

I'm a Libby hater. I also work in IT. For me, and it seems for many others, it's not a question of 'getting used to' Libby. It's that the Overdrive user experience is better than Libby and some valued Overdrive features are not available in Libby. That's a development failure - especially for those of us who have accounts with multiple library systems. It seems when Libby was developed, the expectation was that users would only have privileges for one library system - a HUGE requirements failure.

One of the things I dislike the most, in addition to not being able to Recommend books, is that on the web app (accessing it via my work laptop), I cannot log into the web version of Libby and have all my libraries appear. I can only long into a specific library's Libby version. I can't download the Libby app onto my work laptop. This is different than using the mobile app which allows me to see all my libraries.

I don't like being able to see, at a glance, which library systems have the book I'm looking for. The steps/interface to check other systems and to then Hold the book are like something from the last millenia. It's a failure. It's like they're moving people to the previous tool rather than a new, improved, better tool.

Some grad student ought to do a case study on it.

Me too. I’m so disappointed ☹️

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also hate Libby. It's such a clunky app. It skips in audio books and the layout is awful. Overdrive was so much easier to navigate.

I thought it was my phone causing the skipping!! I feel like it doesn’t disconnect from my airpods and will continue playing. I always have to rewind to find where I actually left off. It really ruins the experience. I have started bookmarking when I stop listening so I know where my actual ending point is.

I’ve been listening to books via Libby for as long as I’ve had it with no issue. As soon as I pull an AirPod out, it pauses. I can also just squeeze the left pod to stop and start the audio.


Maybe you have an old pair?

Anonymous wrote:Libby question: if I download the books, do I need to "remove download" prior to returning the book or is the downloaded copy automatically removed when I return it? I don't think it works past the due date but I don't want them on my phone.

No extra step needed. Just return it and it’ll go away.

The one thing to know is that if you send your Libby reads to kindle, the kindle will “keep” the book if you’re in airplane mode.

It’s one way people who need extra time with a book can have it.

Just a thought: maybe those who love Libby can help those who don’t instead of this being a miserable thread.

Anonymous wrote:I also hate Libby. It's such a clunky app. It skips in audio books and the layout is awful. Overdrive was so much easier to navigate.

I thought it was my phone causing the skipping!! I feel like it doesn’t disconnect from my airpods and will continue playing. I always have to rewind to find where I actually left off. It really ruins the experience. I have started bookmarking when I stop listening so I know where my actual ending point is.

I hate libby is an absolutely valid complaint!
Because it is utterly awful!
Talk about forcing us to use there so called "wonderful" new piece of crap, by making the better one no longer useable, is an absolute disgrace.
Libby apparently "won awards!" No mention anywhere of what those awards were supposed to be, or who judged them! They must have made up their own and judged it themselves! There is no other way this pile of crap could possibly have "won" anything on it's own merits!

Libby question: if I download the books, do I need to "remove download" prior to returning the book or is the downloaded copy automatically removed when I return it? I don't think it works past the due date but I don't want them on my phone.

I like Libby. It took a little time to get used to it but now I prefer it to overdrive. Each new app takes time to get used to. If it is a copy or a remake of an old one, what the point. Keep an open mind when trying something new. New features aren’t always intuitive if you expect it to work like an old one.

I hate Hoopla
I hate audible more --- $$$$$$