Whether you enjoy reading recreationally, studying, or are looking for more prepping resources, the local library can be a fantastic place to go. It’s a huge selection available to everyone, all free. But this is the modern age. Everything is digital. Maybe you want to download eBooks or audiobooks for your mobile device. That’s why there’s OverDrive.
Libraries aren’t living in the past. They recognize that technology is the future. To help ensure that their collection can still be available to modern audiences, countless public libraries and schools have partnered with a company called OverDrive. Using their system, citizens can access digital and audio versions of your local library’s books.
OverDrive itself is browser-based, meaning that you can access it on computers. Though if you’d prefer a mobile device, OverDrive works with Libby, a free book app available for Android, iOS, and Microsoft phones.
These digital copies are treated the same way as a physical book. Every library has a set number of digital copies they are allowed to “check out.” Using a valid library card, a person “checks out” a book, onto their digital device. They then return it automatically by the due date. If you want a book that is “checked out,” you can be set on their waiting list, and automatically informed when the current user has returned their copy.
The Perks
- Free access to tons of eBooks and audiobooks
- Automatic returns and renewals
- Offline support
The Catch
- Requires a library card for the library you intend to check out from
- Limited to that library’s selection
- Still limited to standard book borrowing procedures
Libraries are already a fantastic service being provided for free. The fact that they’re keeping up with the modern age is only better. I recommend anyone interested to check it out.