By: Rickie Mascia, Social Media Specialist

If you are reading with Libby, the answers to these FAQ’s will help you read more efficiently, manage your holds, and overall improve your reading happiness. We also have a guide for helping first-time Libby users get started with more frequently asked questions.

HOW DO I RETURN A BOOK EARLY?

Titles are automatically returned to the library when the book reaches its due date, so you never need to worry about late fees. However, for speed readers/listeners, who tend to finish books prior to when the book is due, there is an option to return the book when you actually finish the book. Here’s how:

*(If the title is popular or brand new, you may be sung as a local hero when others see their estimated wait times dramatically reduced. I know I would.)*

Tap Shelf
Tap On The Title You Want to Return
Tap Return Title to Library
Then tap Return

TO NOTE: If you’ve downloaded a title to the OverDrive app (mobile or desktop), to Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), or as a Kindle Book, you won’t be able to return it from Libby. However, you can return it from the application you used to download the title (the OverDrive app or ADE) or from Amazon (if you downloaded it as a Kindle Book).

HOW DO I SEE MY PLACE IN LINE FOR A HOLD?

If you’ve downloaded a title to the OverDrive app (mobile or desktop), to Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), or as a Kindle Book, you won’t be able to return it from Libby. However, you can return it from the application you used to download the title (the OverDrive app or ADE) or from Amazon (if you downloaded it as a Kindle Book).*

After you place a hold, you can view your place in line by going to Shelf > Holds, then tapping Wait List next to the book in question. You’ll see:

Your approximate wait time for the title
Total holds for the title (and your progress in line)
Total # of copies available at your library
The number of people waiting per copy

There is no greater joy than receiving the notification “the book you had on hold has been added to your bookshelf”.

HOW CAN I VIEW MY BOOK PROGRESS?

You can see your total book progress by tapping the center of the reader. In the bottom-right corner, you’ll see your current page number out of the total in the book. If you tap the page number label once, Libby will reveal how many pages are left in the current chapter. Tap the label again to show your total book progress as a percentage.

In the audiobook player, the total time left in the audiobook is displayed in the lower right hand corner of Libby by default. By tapping the “Time Left label” (above the timeline) you can cycle through different time displays: total time elapsed in the audiobook, time left in current chapter, and total progress as a percentage.

HOW CAN I CHANGE THE TEXT OF AN EBOOK?

Font, text size, and spacing are all adjustable in Libby. Each of these settings can be adjusted to your personal reading preference. Once you open a book, click on the menu icon in the upper-right-hand corner, and then tap Reading Settings. From there, you can adjust settings like text scale (or size), lighting, and book design. Below is an overview of these features:

Text Scale: Adjusted by using the scale. Slide to the left to decrease the text size, or slide to the right to increase the text size.

Lighting: There are three lighting options – bright (good for daytime reading), sepia (similar to a paperback), and dark (good for nighttime reading).

Book Design: Libby offers six pre-selected options for font & page design:

Publisher’s Default
Legible
Scholar
Paperback
OpenDyslexic (This book design uses the OpenDeslexic font to increase the readability of text for readers with dyslexia. Learn more at opendyslexic.com)
Custom: This option allows you to select a font (Palatino, Georgia, Old style, Cochin, Serif, or Sans Serif.), adjust your justification (Left or justified), select a line spacing (1.0, 1.5., or 2.0), and lastly choose a weight for the text (Normal or Heavy).

There you have it, 4 FAQ’s about Libby answered! For more answers visit our help page here: Meet Libby.
Not reading with Libby yet? Download our new one-tap reading app, today!