Your library card might be the best free subscription you’re not using. With it, you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks on your phone, for free, without setting foot in the library.
In the UK, two apps do the lending: Libby and BorrowBox. Which one you get depends on your local council, and some have both. I use both. Here’s how they work, plus the audiobook trick I use to get a free add-on to books I’ve got elsewhere.
The short version
- It’s free with a library card. There’s no subscription.
- Both apps have ebooks and audiobooks.
- You borrow for a set time, usually a couple of weeks, and the book returns itself when the loan ends.
- If a book is already out, you can join the waiting list.
What you need
- A library card from your local council. Joining is free, and many councils let you sign up online.
- Your card number and PIN.
- The app your library uses on your phone or tablet: Libby or BorrowBox.
If you can’t sign in, check that your account hasn’t got an overdue item or fine on it. Some councils block the apps until it’s sorted.
Libby or BorrowBox: which will you get?
Your council decides, not you. Some use Libby, some use BorrowBox, and some offer both. The quickest way to find out is to search for your council’s name plus “ebooks and audiobooks”.
Both apps are free, so download the one your library uses: Libby or BorrowBox.
How to borrow a book, step by step
- Join your library if you haven’t already, and note down your card number and PIN.
- Download the app your library uses and sign in with your library details.
- Search for a book, or browse. You can usually filter by ebook or audiobook.
- Tap Borrow. If it’s already out, place a hold instead and you’ll be told when it’s your turn.
- Read or listen in the app. The loan returns itself when it ends, and you can return it early if you’ve finished.
Loan lengths and limits depend on your library. Two to three weeks is common, and each council sets its own limit on how many books you can have at once, so check your library’s page.
The bonus: free audiobooks too
This is the part I like most. Both apps have audiobooks as well as ebooks, and it doesn’t cost anything extra.
Sometimes I get the audiobook to go along with a book I’ve already got elsewhere. It’s a nice free add-on. If you’ve got a book on your Kindle or on the shelf, it’s worth checking whether your library has the audiobook too, so you can read it at home and carry on listening on a walk or in the car.
Fair warning: the audiobook and your ebook live in different apps, so they won’t sync your place. Make a note of the chapter when you switch.
It’s also a risk-free way to find out whether you like audiobooks at all, before you pay for a subscription.
The Kindle catch
In the UK, library ebooks usually can’t be sent straight to a Kindle device (it’s a licensing thing), so you read them in the Libby or BorrowBox app on your phone or tablet instead. Audiobooks play in the app anyway, so they aren’t affected.
Waiting lists: how to beat the queue
- Place a hold on anything that’s out. The app usually tells you roughly how long the wait is.
- Try the other format. An ebook and its audiobook are often on separate waiting lists, so one may be free when the other isn’t.
- Don’t borrow too many at once. The loan clock starts when you borrow, so only take what you’ll get through.
- Return it early when you’ve finished. That frees it up for the next person.
When I’d rather just pay 99p
Library books are brilliant for trying something out, but if the waiting list is long, or I know I’ll want to keep the book, I’ll check the 99p Kindle deals instead. Both are part of how I fill my Kindle without spending a fortune.
Do you use Libby or BorrowBox? Which one does your library have? Let me know, and tell me if you’ve got a good audiobook tip.
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