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You can borrow a library ebook for free with a valid library card, but the steps depend on your library’s digital lending service and the device you want to read on. For many U.S. readers, the simplest route is Libby: add your library card, find a title, borrow it or place a hold, then read in the app or send an eligible book to Kindle. Your library—not the app—sets the catalog, loan periods, and borrowing limits.
What you need
- A valid library card and its card number. Have your PIN or password ready if the library requests one.
- A phone, tablet, computer, or compatible ereader, plus an internet connection for setup and downloads.
- The service your library uses. Many libraries offer Libby/OverDrive; others use Hoopla or a different digital catalog.
Card rules vary: some libraries let residents sign up online, while others require proof of address or an in-person visit. Temporary digital cards, renewal rules, and eligibility also vary. A Libby or OverDrive login does not replace a library card. If you do not have one, check your library’s website or ask a librarian how to apply.
To identify the right service, search your library’s website for “ebooks” or “digital library,” or ask staff. A library may offer more than one service, and each may have a different catalog and set of limits.
Borrow an ebook with Libby
- Open Libby. Install the app on your iOS, Android, or Amazon Fire device, or visit libbyapp.com in a current desktop browser.
- Find your library. Search by library name, city, or ZIP code. If you cannot find a branch, try the larger library system or county name.
- Add your card. Enter your library card number and PIN or password if requested. If your card is rejected, test it on the library’s regular website or contact the library to check its status.
- Find a book. Search by title, author, subject, or series. Use the ebook or availability filters where available, then open a result to check its format and any device restrictions.
- Borrow it. Select Borrow. If Libby offers a choice of loan period, review the “Borrowing for…” option and change it if you prefer; then select Borrow again to confirm. The periods and choices depend on the library.
- Start reading. Open Shelf > Loans, select the title, and choose an available option such as Read With Libby or Read With…. The labels can vary by platform and title.
Libby supports ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines, but you will see only items your library has made available. In the mobile app, ebooks generally download over Wi-Fi by default, so you can read offline. An offline download is still a time-limited loan, not a permanent copy. See the Libby getting-started guide and quick-start guide for its setup and checkout flow.
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- Read in any light – Adjust the display from white to amber to read in bright sunlight or in the dark.
If the book is unavailable: place a hold
If you see Place Hold instead of Borrow, select it and confirm your email address or notification settings. Track the request under Shelf > Holds. When the book becomes available, Libby will notify you; borrow it before the pickup deadline shown in the app. If you are not ready, use the hold-management options available for that title, such as suspending or canceling the hold.
Many digital books are licensed for a limited number of simultaneous readers, so a digital title can have a queue just like a print book. Wait times and hold limits are determined by the library and its licenses. If you see Notify Me rather than a borrowing option, the library may not currently own that title. Where supported, Notify Me lets you express interest and receive an alert if the library adds it; it is not a reservation. Details are in the Libby quick-start guide.
Choose how to read on your device
Phone or tablet
Read the loan in Libby. Let it download over Wi-Fi for offline reading, or adjust the app’s download and streaming settings if you prefer. The book remains tied to the loan and becomes unavailable when the lending period ends.
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Computer
Use Libby in a current browser at libbyapp.com, or borrow and read through your library’s OverDrive website if it provides one. An OverDrive website may also offer a compatible EPUB or PDF download for some titles, but not every book can be downloaded to an ereader. See OverDrive’s guide to borrowing from a library website.
Kindle device or Kindle app (U.S. library loans)
Kindle delivery through Libby/OverDrive is a U.S.-library feature, and not every title is Kindle-compatible. For an eligible book:
- Borrow it in Libby or on the library’s OverDrive website.
- Choose Read With… or Read now with Kindle.
- Continue to Amazon and sign in to the account connected to your Kindle device or app.
- Select Get Library Book, then connect the Kindle to Wi-Fi and sync if the book does not appear.
Borrowing in Libby alone may not complete delivery: the Amazon handoff matters. Picture books, read-alongs, graphic novels, and other titles may have device restrictions. If Kindle is missing, check that the loan is from a U.S. library, that the title is eligible, and that you have not already selected another format; downloading an EPUB first can remove the Kindle option unless you borrow the title again. For details, see OverDrive’s Kindle instructions and Libby’s Kindle troubleshooting guide.
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- Escape into your books – Your Kindle doesn’t have social media, notifications, or other distracting apps.
- Adapts to your surroundings – The auto-adjusting front light lets you read in the brightest sunlight or late into the night.
Kobo ereader
Selected Kobo models support built-in OverDrive/Libby borrowing, but model, country, library, and title availability all matter. If your Kobo and library are supported, connect the device to Wi-Fi, then open More > Settings > Borrowed > Get Started. Follow the prompts to sign in with your library card and find your library. Open Discover, search for the book, open its three-dot menu, and choose Borrow with OverDrive/Libby. Sync the Kobo to receive the loan.
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Built-in borrowing is available only on specified models and in supported countries, which include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and some others. Check Kobo’s compatibility and setup guidance before relying on it.
Older Kobo or another compatible ereader
If direct borrowing is unavailable, a library website may offer an EPUB or PDF transfer instead:
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- Escape into your books – Your Kindle doesn’t have social media, notifications, or other distracting apps.
- Battery life for your longest novel – A single charge via USB-C lasts up to 12 weeks.
- Read in any light – Adjust the display from white to amber to read in bright sunlight or in the dark.
- Borrow the title on the library’s website and choose its EPUB or PDF download, if offered.
- If the downloaded file ends in
.acsm, open it with Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). It is a license file used to obtain the ebook, not the book itself. - Authorize ADE as prompted, connect the ereader to the computer by USB, and transfer the ebook from ADE to the device.
- Eject the ereader safely before disconnecting it.
This path applies only to supported downloadable loans; some titles are app- or browser-only. The computer and ereader may need to use the same Adobe authorization. Do not try to remove a book’s digital rights management: the loan’s license controls access. See OverDrive’s ereader setup guide and Kobo’s library-website transfer instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What if your library uses Hoopla?
Hoopla is a separate library service, not another name for Libby. If your library offers it, sign in through Hoopla using the library information it requests, search its catalog, and borrow a title in the app or on a supported device. Its availability labels matter: Instant titles can generally be borrowed right away, while Flex titles work more like limited-copy loans and may be checked out by someone else.
Hoopla borrowing allowances are set by the library and may be monthly; a collective daily limit can also affect availability at some libraries. Check the rules shown for your account rather than assuming the service is unlimited. Read Hoopla’s borrowing guide for the service’s title types.
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- Ready for travel – The ultra-thin design has a larger glare-free screen so pages stay sharp no matter where you are.
- Escape into your books – Your Kindle doesn’t have social media, notifications, or other distracting apps.
- Battery life for your longest novel – A single charge via USB-C lasts up to 12 weeks.
- Read in any light – Adjust the display from white to amber to read in bright sunlight or in the dark.
Return or renew a library ebook
Libby loans return automatically on their due date, so standard digital loans do not accrue late fees. To return a book early, open it under Shelf > Loans, choose Manage Loan, then select Return Early or the equivalent control. Returning early frees the licensed copy for another reader.
If you need more time, a renewal may become available a few days before the due date, usually only if no one else is waiting. If renewal is unavailable, you can borrow the title again if a copy is free or place another hold. Loan length and renewal options vary by library. For a Kindle-delivered loan, returning it in Libby may not immediately remove the copy from Amazon; you may also need to return it through your Amazon account. See Libby’s borrowing, renewal, and return guidance and OverDrive’s renewal instructions.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check or try |
|---|---|
| Your library is not listed | Search by the larger library system, city, or county rather than a branch. Check the library website for its digital service; it may use Hoopla, Boundless, cloudLibrary, BorrowBox, or another provider instead of Libby. |
| Your card or PIN is rejected | Check for an expired card, a wrong system, or a mistyped number or PIN. Test the card on the library’s regular website, reset the PIN there if possible, or contact the circulation desk. Repeated attempts may not resolve an account or identity-verification issue. |
| A title appears but cannot be borrowed | It may be checked out, available only in another format or service, restricted on your device, or absent from the collection associated with your card. Try Place Hold, filter for ebooks, or check the library’s other services. |
| The Kindle option is missing | Confirm the U.S.-library requirement and title eligibility, and check whether another format was already downloaded. Review Libby’s Kindle troubleshooting steps. |
| The book is missing from Kindle | Make sure you selected Get Library Book on Amazon and used the correct Amazon account. Connect to Wi-Fi, sync, and check the Kindle library and filters. Confirm the loan is still active; if needed, reopen it in Libby and repeat delivery. |
| The book is missing from Kobo | Check the exact Kobo model and library support, the signed-in library, title compatibility, Wi-Fi, and sync. If direct borrowing is unsupported, use ADE only if the library offers a compatible download. |
| An ebook download will not open | The title may be app/browser-only, the format may not suit the device, or the file may be an .acsm license file that needs ADE. For a USB transfer, check that ADE and the ereader are authorized consistently. |
Keep your account and reading expectations in mind
Use the official library, Libby, OverDrive, Hoopla, Amazon, Kobo, or Adobe apps and websites, and do not share your library-card credentials. A library may retain borrowing history, holds, tags, or notification data under its own policy; consult the library’s privacy information for local rules. A downloaded loan is not a permanent purchase: access normally ends when the loan expires.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
