How To Get Libby App On Kindle

Answered By: Anna Kate Tippett - Sarasota County Libraries

Last Updated: Dec 06, 2021 Views: 13165

**As of July 2021, Sarasota County Public Libraries are currently transitioning to using Cloud Library as our primary platform for eBooks and eAudiobooks. On April 27, 2022 we will discontinue service with OverDrive / Libby while expanding our Cloud Library platform. Kindle Fire and other tablets, smartphones and computers are all compatible with cloudLibrary. While similar in its platforms, Kindle Paperwhite devices do not work with cloudLibrary. We are alerting our patrons to this change to allow Paperwhite users ample time to adjust to the new platform. Please click here for more information on this change.

There are two different ways to download books onto your Kindle, and these will apply to any kind of Kindle, including the Paperwhite, Oasis, and Fire models. Both options offer the same collection of eBooks and are owned by the same provider; the only difference between the two is how you access them. If you'd prefer to use an app on a smartphone or tablet, then you'll want to download the free Libby app. If you prefer to use a computer to search for eBooks, then you'll want to use Overdrive, which is the website version. Please click here for information on how to use Overdrive to download eBooks onto your Kindle Paperwhite.

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Borrowing and Downloading eBooks

If you already have Libby downloaded and are signed in, please go to step 11. If this is your first time ever using Libby, then please start with step 1.

To use Libby, you will first need to download the app from your app store. Click here to download it.
Once it's downloaded, tap on the app icon to open it.
To sign in with your library card number, click Yes.
Now we need to find the Sarasota County Library System. There a couple options. I'll Search for a Library allows you to search for the library by entering the library's name, city, or zip code. Yes, Guess My Library will use your location to guess which library is yours. This will require you to allow the app access to your current location. To search for the library without allowing the app to use your location, select Search for a Library. The next steps below describe how to use this option to find and select the Sarasota County Library system.
To search for the library, tap in the text box to bring up your device's keyboard. There are a few different ways to search for the library. The easiest is to type "Sarasota" into the box, and the first option to come up should be the right one, Sarasota County Libraries. Tap on this box, and it will take you to the next screen.
Select the first option, Enter Library Account Details in green.
Tap in the box and enter your library card number. Once you've typed it all in, click the green Sign In button.
Now your screen should show your linked card. You have the option to change the name of the library card, but this is not necessary. Tap the green Next button.
The Home screen for the app should now appear. From here, you can browse or search Libby's collection of eBooks. You should only need to go through this sign in process once, and the next time you open up the Libby app this screen should appear.
Now we want to make sure that we are only looking at Kindle books before we go any further. The easiest way to do that in Libby is to adjust your preferences. Right below the Sarasota County logo, on the left side of the screen, should be a plus + sign in a circle next to the word Preferences. Tap on either the plus sign or the word Preferences to open the preference menu.
The fourth option, Compatibility, is the option we want to change. Libby is the default option because you can check out and read books using the Libby app. To change it, tap on the word Libby and a pop-up menu will appear with three options: Libby, Kindle, and Adobe-compatible ereader. Select Kindle.
The pop-up menu should now disappear, and now instead of Libby we should see Kindle next to Compatibility. Select Apply Preferences at the bottom of the screen. This will save your changes and take you back to the home screen. Just like with signing in with your library card, you will only have to do this once. However, you can change this preference at any time by repeating these three steps, and Libby will save that change until you change it again.
From here we can now browse and search through all of the Kindle books available in Libby. As you scroll down, you'll see several different categories you can browse through. Clicking on the name of the category will take you into the list of books in it. To go back to the home screen, tap on the word Library on the bottom left corner of the screen. If you'd like to search for a book, tap on the magnifying glass on the top left of the screen and enter your search terms (title, author, series name, subject, etc.).
Once you've found a book you'd like to read, click on the Borrow button. If you searched for a book and just see the cover but not the Borrow button, you'll have to tap on the book's cover first to bring up the menu.
Your screen should now look like the one below. Just above the cover of the book you should see for xx days. The lending periods are the same as the on the Overdrive website: 7 days, 14 days, or 21 days. The default setting is 14 days, and unless you've changed your settings you should see 14 days as the lending period. You can always change the lending period now before you check out the book. Simply tap on the number of days and a pop-up menu will appear where you can choose one of the other options. Select the lending period you'd like and the menu will disappear. Once you're satisfied with the lending period, select Borrow.
A new screen will now appear stating that you've borrowed the book for the lending period you chose on the previous screen. To download the book onto your Kindle paperwhite, select Open Book.
Because the book you checked out was a Kindle book, you will now be directed to Amazon. If you're not already signed in to your Amazon account you will be prompted to sign in. Enter your email address and password and select Sign-In.
Once you're signed in to your Amazon account (or if you were already signed in) your screen should like the one in the picture below. On the right side of the screen, near the top, is a yellow button that says Get Library Book. Below that should be a box that says "Deliver To" followed by the name of your Kindle (or your default Kindle device if you have more than one). To change which device the book is delivered to, tap the arrow and then tap on the name of the device you'd like the book delivered to. Once you've selected the device you'd like it delivered to, click the yellow Get Library Book button.
Your screen should now look like the one below. This means that the book has been successfully checked out and added to your Amazon account. The book will automatically download to the device you selected. You can also download the title on any other Amazon devices you have, as long as they are connected to your Amazon account, and your progress will be saved and synced across your devices.