How to Borrow My Books Free From Your Library

A Simple Guide to Libby and Library Apps

Did you know you may be able to read my books free through your public library?

And yes, that includes ebooks.

You don't necessarily have to buy another device. You don't have to understand how library ebook licensing works. And if you already own a Kindle, you may even be able to send eligible library books directly to it.

All you really need to get started is a library card.

I distribute my ebooks to library services through Draft2Digital, including OverDrive, which powers the Libby app, as well as Hoopla, cloudLibrary, and BorrowBox. That makes my books available for libraries to add to their digital collections.

There is one important catch:

Your individual library may not already have the book you want.

That's okay.

If a Miranda Martin book isn't currently in your library's digital collection, there are ways to tell your library you want it.

I'm going to show you exactly how.

Start With Libby

If you've never borrowed an ebook from your library before, Libby is the first place I recommend looking.

Libby is the library reading app created by OverDrive. You connect it to your participating public library using your library card, then use it to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your library's digital collection.

The Libby app is free.

You can use it on:

• iPhone and iPad

• Android phones and tablets

• Many newer Amazon Fire tablets

• Windows and Mac computers through a web browser

• Chromebooks through a web browser

You can also send many borrowed ebooks to a Kindle eReader if you're borrowing from a U.S. library.

Open Libby in your web browser

Step 1: Get Your Library Card

If you already have a library card, you're ahead of the game.

Open Libby and follow the prompts to find your library.

You can search by library name, city, or ZIP code, then enter the library-card information your library requires. Libby also allows you to add additional library cards if you belong to more than one library system.

If you don't have a library card yet, visit your local library's website.

Many libraries let residents begin the signup process online, although the exact requirements vary from one library system to another.

Once you have that card number, you're ready to go hunting for books.

Step 2: Search Libby for Miranda Martin

Open Libby and tap Search.

You can search for:

Miranda Martin

or, even better, search for the exact title you're looking for.

If your library already has the ebook, you'll normally see one of two options:

Borrow means a copy is currently available.

Place Hold means your library has the book, but all available copies are currently being read.

If you borrow it, it will appear under Shelf → Loans in Libby.

If you place a hold, Libby will notify you when a copy becomes available.

Easy.

But what happens if you search for one of my books and it isn't there?

That's where things get interesting.

My Library Doesn't Have the Book. Now What?

First, don't assume that means your library can't get it.

The book may be available for libraries to purchase even though your particular library hasn't added it to its collection yet.

Libby has a feature specifically designed for this situation.

It's called Deep Search, and it works with another feature called Notify Me.

Together, they give you a way to essentially raise your hand and tell your library:

“I'm interested in this book.”

How to Request a Book Through Libby

Here's the process.

1. Search for the exact book

Search for the title you're looking for.

If you get no results, Libby may automatically expand the search.

If you do get results but don't see the book you want, keep going.

2. Use Deep Search

Scroll to the bottom of the search results and look for deep search.

You can also open the search filters and turn on the deep search option.

Deep Search expands your results beyond the ebooks your library already owns and searches the wider OverDrive catalog.

If your original search produces more than 100 results, Libby may not show the Deep Search option. In that case, make your search more specific by using the exact book title and author name.

3. Find the book

If the ebook is available to libraries through OverDrive but your library doesn't currently carry it, the title may now appear in your results.

Instead of Borrow or Place Hold, you'll see:

Notify Me

4. Tap Notify Me

Tap Notify Me.

Libby will either create a Notify Me tag for you or let you use one you've already created.

And this is the important part:

Your interest is anonymously shared with your saved libraries.

You're not just bookmarking the book for yourself.

You're telling the library that one of its patrons wants access to it.

Does Requesting a Book Actually Help?

Yes.

There is a misconception that a library won't consider a book until some mysterious minimum number of people request it.

That's not how Libby works.

There is no universal number of requests that automatically causes a library to purchase a book.

Every library controls its own collection, budget, purchasing policies, and priorities.

But Notify Me data is actually provided to librarians.

OverDrive gives libraries tools that show patron interest in titles their collections don't currently carry. Librarians can use that information while shopping for ebooks, run reports on patron demand, sort and filter titles by Notify Me activity, and even build automated purchasing plans around patron-interest data.

So your request matters.

One request doesn't guarantee that a library will purchase a book.

But if nobody tells the library they want it?

The librarian has a lot less reason to know there is demand.

Please tap that button.

You're helping yourself find the book you want, and you're also helping libraries see that readers want independently published authors in their collections.

What Happens After I Tap Notify Me?

You don't have to keep searching every week.

If one of your saved libraries later adds the title, Libby will notify you.

You'll then have the option to borrow the ebook if it's available or place a hold if all copies are currently checked out.

That's why I especially like this method.

Search once.

Tell the library you're interested.

Let Libby watch for it.

Much better than repeatedly wandering into the digital stacks muttering the book title to yourself.

What If I Can't Find Deep Search or Notify Me?

Not every library currently offers Libby's patron-interest features.

If your library doesn't support Notify Me, you still have another option.

Go to your library's website and look for something called:

• Suggest a Purchase

• Recommend a Title

• Request a Book

• Suggest an eBook

• Purchase Request

The wording varies by library.

If you can't find a request form, contact the library directly.

When you make the request, give them as much useful information as possible:

Title: The exact book title
Author: Miranda Martin
Format: Ebook
Library availability: Available to libraries through OverDrive

You don't need to explain Draft2Digital or ebook licensing to them.

Your librarian knows that world.

You just need to tell them which book you want.

Can I Read Library Books on My Kindle?

Here's some particularly good news for U.S. Kindle readers.

Yes, many ebooks borrowed through Libby can be read on a Kindle eReader.

That includes devices such as Kindle Paperwhite and other Kindle eReaders.

You don't have to buy a Kobo, replace your Kindle, or start reading every book on your phone just because you're borrowing it from a library.

Libby says most of its ebooks borrowed from U.S. libraries can be sent to Kindle.

How to send a Libby book to your Kindle

After borrowing an eligible ebook:

1. Open Shelf in Libby.

2. Tap Loans.

3. Find the book.

4. Tap Read With...

5. Choose Kindle.

6. Libby will send you to Amazon's website.

7. Sign into the Amazon account connected to your Kindle.

8. Tap Get Library Book.

9. The ebook will be delivered to the Kindle devices associated with that Amazon account.

That's it.

You borrowed the book from your library, but you can still read it on the Kindle you already own.

Why don't I see the Kindle option?

Not every Libby ebook supports Kindle delivery.

Before borrowing, you can open the book's details and look for its Read With information. If Kindle is listed, the book can be sent to Kindle.

Also remember that Kindle delivery through Libby is currently a U.S.-library feature.

What If I Want to Avoid Amazon Completely?

You can do that too.

Instead of choosing Kindle after borrowing your ebook, simply read the book inside Libby.

The Libby app has its own ebook reader, so you can borrow and read on your phone, tablet, Fire tablet, or supported web browser without sending the book through Amazon at all.

So you have choices.

Already own a Kindle and love reading on it?

Use it.

Want your library reading completely outside the Amazon ecosystem?

Read in Libby.

The important part is that buying an ebook from Amazon is not your only way to read ebooks.

Does My Library Have to Buy Every Ebook Individually?

Sometimes, but library ebook distribution is more complicated than that.

Different library services use different licensing and borrowing models.

For example, Draft2Digital supports both traditional one-copy/one-user library licensing and cost-per-checkout models where available. Draft2Digital describes its CPC option as allowing multiple readers to check out eligible books while the library pays based on actual borrowing activity.

You don't need to know any of that to borrow a book.

But it explains why you may see very different experiences from one library app to another.

A book might have a waitlist in one service and be immediately available through another.

Which brings us to something important.

Libby Isn't the Only Library App

If you search Libby and don't find the book you're looking for, don't stop there.

I also distribute ebooks to other library services through Draft2Digital, including:

Hoopla

Hoopla is particularly interesting because it uses an instant-borrow model for much of its catalog rather than the traditional one-copy-at-a-time model readers often encounter in Libby.

If your library offers Hoopla and one of my books is available through its collection, you may be able to borrow it immediately.

I'll have a separate guide explaining exactly how to find and borrow my books on Hoopla.

cloudLibrary

Some library systems use cloudLibrary rather than, or alongside, Libby.

My books are also made available to libraries through cloudLibrary via Draft2Digital.

I'll cover how to search, borrow, place holds, and request books through cloudLibrary in its own guide.

BorrowBox

Draft2Digital also distributes ebooks to BorrowBox, another digital library platform used by libraries in multiple countries.

That will get its own guide too.

Different libraries subscribe to different services, so it's worth checking which digital-reading apps your particular library provides.

Which Library App Should I Try First?

For most of my U.S. readers, I recommend this order:

Start with Libby.

Search Miranda Martin or the exact title you want.

If your library has it, borrow it.

If it doesn't, use Deep Search → Notify Me.

Then check your library's website to see whether it also offers services such as Hoopla or cloudLibrary.

You may discover that your library card gives you access to far more ebooks than you realized.

Borrowing My Books From the Library Still Supports Authors

Library reading is real reading, and library distribution is an important part of how authors reach readers.

When libraries purchase or license ebooks through the library services I distribute to, that use is part of the publishing ecosystem.

So if buying every book isn't in your budget, please don't feel as though borrowing from your library is somehow a lesser way to read.

Use your library.

That's what it's there for.

And if the book you want isn't there yet, request it.

Every request tells librarians something important:

Readers want this author. Readers want this series. Readers want more books like this.

That can help make the book available not only to you, but to other readers in your community too.

Ready to Find My Books at Your Library?

Here's the simplest version:

1. Open Libby and connect your library card.

2. Search for Miranda Martin or the exact title you want.

3. If it's available, tap Borrow or Place Hold.

4. If it isn't available, use Deep Search.

5. Find the title and tap Notify Me.

6. If your library doesn't offer Notify Me, request the ebook directly through your library's website.

And if you're in the United States and prefer reading on your Kindle, check for the Read With Kindle option after you borrow.

Start with Libby

A library card can open a lot more doors than the physical ones at your local branch.

Sometimes one of those doors leads to a distant planet with two red suns.

I happen to know a few books about that.