Libby

Libby update will help prevent language confusion!

Libby’s latest update introduces a prompt to users when they borrow, place a hold, or add a “Notify Me” tag to a title in a language different from the one they have set as their app preference.

The goal of this feature is to reduce instances of accidentally borrowing or requesting books in a language they aren’t familiar with. This is especially helpful when a title’s language may not be clear from the cover image (which is often!).

If the user selects “Yes, I Can Read It” from the prompt, Libby will complete the action they were taking. If the user doesn’t want the title in that language, Libby will try to find it in the language the user speaks based on app preferences and past language confirmation prompts.

Not only will this help users to avoid checking out or requesting items they can’t read, it will also hopefully prevent library selectors from having to wade through accidental requests in other languages, and be assured that any that do come through are deliberate!

Click here to learn more about available language options for Libby.

– Heather Auman, Western Allegheny Community Library

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New updates for Magazines in Libby!



Libby will soon introduce the following enhancements to how users discover and enjoy magazines:
One tap to read: When a reader discovers a magazine anywhere in the app, they can open it and start reading with one tap.

Streamlined access: Instead of appearing alongside eBook and audiobook loans, magazines will be moved to a new dedicated section of the Shelf summary, called the Magazine Rack. From the Magazine Rack, users will see the latest issue of their magazine subscriptions and any other issues they choose to check out.

Easier subscriptions: Users can subscribe to magazines via a new, convenient Subscribe option from magazine search results and title details pages. When a new issue is released, it will automatically be added to the user’s Magazine Rack.

Improved discovery: From the Magazine Rack, users can navigate to the Newsstand, a new view of a user’s recently opened issues and other popular magazine titles in your collection.

Hope these changes roll out soon, because they all sound GREAT!

–Heather Auman, Western Allegheny Community Library
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Get Ready, Get Set, GROW!

It’s that time of year again where avid gardeners are planning out their summer designs. Did you know that Libby and Hoopla has a large collection of Gardening materials?

https://libbyapp.com/search/acla/search/query-Gardening/subject-31/page-1

https://www.hoopladigital.com/search?q=gardening

Next time a patron asks for gardening books, don’t forget to check out the e-resources and all they have available!

Gabi – Robinson Library

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Maximizing Your Libby Borrowing Options

This week is more of a life improvement tip than a professional pick-me-up. As (most of us, I assume) are residents of the wonderful Allegheny County, we are entitled to a lot of electronic library resources—particularly the titles available in Libby. Despite the best efforts of the DRC, some titles are simply too popular, and waitlists can sometimes extend into weeks and months. Sure, you could just find another book to listen to/read, but wouldn’t it be nice to have even more options for borrowing?

Enter the Free Library of Philadelphia.

But wait—we do not live in Philadelphia, how is this relevant? To answer, I would like to emphasize this paragraph from the Free Library’s website:

“A Free Library card is available at no cost to anyone who lives, works, pays taxes, or goes to school in the City of Philadelphia. In addition, anyone who lives in the state of Pennsylvania can obtain a Free Library card without charge.”

This would be a great time to mention a user can load several library cards onto their Libby account. My most recent and favorite success is South to America by Imani Perry. Recommended by a coworker, I was disappointed to see the waitlist extending into the double-digit number of weeks. But, with my handy-dandy Free Library of Philadelphia card, all was not lost:

The process for getting the card was simple and painless, and you can get started HERE. Because I am not a Philadelphia resident, the approval took a little longer (a few days) than for a typical Philly-dweller. Having two large libraries’ worth of electronic resources is proving a vast quality of life improvement.

I am curious if you have any hacks you have learned over your years in the greater PA library system! Please email me at smithc2@einetwork.net if you have any issues getting a Philadelphia card or want to swap tricks.

Happy reading.

Cameron R.S. Smith – Cooper-Siegel Community Library

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