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Libby Tips & Tricks, Recommended Reads

8 surprising uses for the Libby app beyond your favorite books

Jul 26, 2023

You already know you can count on the Libby app for the latest bestsellers. But if you dig a little deeper and think outside your usual reading fare, there’s even more you can discover to entertain and educate.

Get tools for everything from the hardcore practical (taxes), the nuanced (psychology), new skills (crafts) and much more. Some libraries offer Libby Extras, which gives you access to extra learning and entertainment resources. For example, did you know you can host a concert party with Qello? You can even entertain with a moving viewing party courtesy of Kanopy or invite friends over for a CAL (craft-a-long) with Craftsy.

Below are just a few of the more out-of-the-box examples of how my family, friends and I use Libby. I’m sure you have even more ideas–let us know!

Continuing education and career development

If you’re just getting started with those adulting life skills, or need a refresher, Libby offers titles for helping with choosing a career path, learning financial literacy and more.

If you’ve been in a career for more than a minute, continuing education and those CEUs are important for staying fresh in your industry, fulfilling HR development requirements and maintaining licensure.

UniversalClass can be found under Libby Extras and offers an entire suite of self-paced online courses on everything from homeschooling and math and science to technical writing, diversity and inclusion training and more. Ask your HR department if UniversalClass is an option for your office continuing education program.

Continuing education and professional development

Sleep aid

If you're on the outs with the Sandman, Libby offers audiobooks to listen to while falling asleep and ebooks to page through until your eyes grow heavy. Guided meditation can be a great addition for stress relief, anxiety and is a part of good sleep hygiene. There are also some titles specifically designed to help you invite the Sandman in and sleep better.

💡 Did you know you can even set a sleep timer on audiobooks in the Libby app? Learn how.

If your library subscribes to Libby Extras, you can also find The Sleep Well Workshop with Ann Green in Learn It Live.

Bedtime Stories for Stressed Out Adults by Meditation Made Effortless
Guided Meditation for Anxiety by Kaizen Mindfulness Meditations, Cindy M. Bartz

Test prep

There are those big tests in life that are life changing, and of course we want to nail them. Libby offers tons of titles specifically geared for prepping for that important upcoming test in your future.

Method Learning in Libby Extras also provides resources in college and career planning, ACT and SAT prep and academic tutoring.

GRE Prep Plus 2023, Includes 6 Practice Tests, Online Study Guide, Proven Strategies to Pass the Exam by Kaplan Test Prep
Princeton Review SAT Premium Prep, 2023: 9 Practice Tests + Review & Techniques + Online Tools by The Princeton Review

Language learning

Parlez-vous français? You do now with the help of Libby! Many libraries offer language learning resources in Spanish, German, Mandarin, Arabic and others.

Learn French with Paul Noble for Beginners by Paul Noble
Learn in Your Car Spanish by Henry N. Raymond

Get cooking

Whip up something new in the kitchen with the help of Libby. Find recipes that feature decadent desserts and cookbooks devoted to healthier living.

Browse more cookbooks here.

What’s for Dessert? by Claire Saffitz
The Mediterranean Dish by Suzy Karadsheh

Travel guides

Not only is Libby great for entertaining stories to take along on road trips and plane rides, but the library reading app can also help you get there! Many libraries carry updated travel guides for everywhere from Disney to Paris.

Fodor’s InFocus Savannah by Fodor’s Travel Guides
Walt Disney World Hacks by Susan Veness (2024 edition coming soon!)

Streaming video

Find streaming video from the library in the Kanopy app under Extras in Libby. Explore critically acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films, TV series and more ad-free on your TV, mobile phone and tablet.

Tax help

A dreaded life task just got easier thanks to tax guides in Libby. April is still a few months away, but the latest editions are available when you need them.

Taxes for Dummies by Eric Tyson and others
Write It Off! Deduct It! by Bernard B. Kamoroff

Discover what’s available in your digital library’s collection in the Libby app.

About the Author

After 30 years in higher ed. library life, Lynn Bycko is now a Digital Content Librarian, supporting public libraries in mainland Europe. She also publishes newsletters in German and Swedish about digital content for libraries in those language regions. You will have her full attention if she hears the words "sustainable agriculture," "food forest," "apiary," or "homesteading." In her spare time, she enjoys family life, pets, beekeeping, and gardening.