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10 Hacks Every Libby User Should Know

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If you’re a reader (or listener), you’ll want to take advantage of these Libby hacks for borrowing, organizing, and maximizing your loans.

By Emily Long, September 10, 2026

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Libby is a service that connects users to their local library systems, giving them access to an enormous catalog of digital content, including e-books, audiobooks, and magazines—for free. If you’re a reader (or listener), you’ll want to take advantage of these Libby tips and tricks for borrowing, organizing, and maximizing your loans.

Add multiple library cards to see availability across other systems

You’re not limited to one library system on Libby. The platform allows you to connect to multiple libraries, so you can take advantage of larger catalogs in case one library has more titles or a shorter wait times for books you want to read. You still have to be eligible for a library card at every library you connect to, but you could add your city library, your county library, and a school library to your account (or even take advantage of a friend’s or family member’s card from a different city). Go to Menu > Add Library and search by library name, city, or zip code. Select the library to browse its collection, and follow the prompts to add that library’s card if you qualify.

Use airplane mode on your Kindle to extend your loan

Libby automatically returns titles as soon as your loans expire, so unlike with physical books, you can’t take extra time to finish up. But if you’re reading on a Kindle, you may be able to borrow the title and immediately set your device to airplane mode to freeze the loan. While your Kindle is offline, you can return the title via the Libby app so the next person can borrow it. Note that there are reports that this workaround, which is unique to Kindle, may no longer be available on newer devices running the latest software, but Reddit users suggest that changing the date on your Kindle to before the return deadline and/or keeping the expired book open could also help avoid this issue.

Export your reading data to archive or add it to Goodreads

If you like to track your reading history, you can export a timeline of your activity, which can be saved in a personal spreadsheet or uploaded to Goodreads. Tap Shelf > Timeline > Actions > Export Timeline and choose a format—Table creates a shareable HTML page, while Spreadsheet downloads an editable sheet to your device (JSON is also an option). Exports include information like the title name, author, borrow date, publisher, and ISBN. If syncing to Goodreads, choose Spreadsheet and follow the platform’s import instructions.

Read more: 10 Hacks Every Libby User Should Know – Lifehacker

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