Library Apps FAQs

  • General Questions

    OverDrive (Libby App) Magazines are always available to read and don't count towards your 30 item borrowing limit. 

    Reading magazines in the Libby App has got a lot easier. Simply find the issue you want and start reading. You can also Keep for 7 Days and Subscribe to be notified when new issues come out. For more information see Libby Help - Reading Magazines

    Unfortunately, our OverDrive site and Catalogue/Library account haven't quite caught up. You may notice magazines you've read in the Libby App are showing up as digital checkouts in your library account and your OverDrive account.

    • You can ignore these checkouts (They'll expire on their due date)
    • You can return them via your OverDrive account

    We understand this is confusing and a little frustrating for our customers. OverDrive is considering how it can streamline the magazine reading experience across our different access points and account views.

    The Libby app is a one-tap reading app for borrowing eBooks and eAudiobooks from your library. This free app, created by OverDrive, is available for Android, iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch), and Windows 10 devices.

    1. Install the Libby app from your device’s app store.
    2. In Libby, follow the prompts to find AWA and choose Christchurch City Libraries to sign in with your library card and PIN/password
    3. Browse the AWA collection, then borrow a book or audiobook or open a magazine.
    4. Borrowed titles appear on your Shelf and download to the app automatically so you can read them when you’re offline. Tap Open In Libby or Open Audiobook to start reading or listening in the app.

    Happy reading!

    Libby Help has more information on navigating the app 

    Download the Libby app

    For Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks open libbyapp.com

    Note: libbyapp.com works best in up-to-date versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge.

    Supported Devices

    CCL Mobile - the Library App was built specifically for iPhone and Android devices.

    Supported OS versions

    The current minimum OS versions supported for CCL Mobile - the Library App are: 

    App Platform Minimum supported app version Minimum OS version
    CCL Mobile for iOS 2.7.0 iOS 16 and above. (effective v.2.19)
    CCL Mobile for Android 2.4.1 Android 9.0 (Pie) and above. 

    If your device does not support a version of iOS or Android listed above, you will be unable to download the app.

    To use Libby on an android device, you need to have Android version 7.1.1 or later.

    For more information and troubleshooting tips, check out Libby Help and OverDrive Help.

    It can be hard work if you have to manage other people's library cards as well as your own. You can use CCL Mobile - the Library App to easily borrow and place holds for more than one library account. 

    CCL Mobile Apps allows you to add multiple accounts, making it easy to manage individual accounts within the app. Find out how this feature works and get started setting up more than one account on your Android or iOS device.

    This is useful if:

    • You are looking after the library cards of your children and borrowing books for them;
    • You borrow books for elderly relatives, or people in your care.

    CCL Mobile - the Library App

    Download from:

    Android devices - Google Play Store

    iOs devices - App Store

    Multi-Accounts User Experience

    The multi-accounts feature makes it easy for you to add multiple accounts to the app, switch between them from within the app, and remove accounts. The user avatar, as well as home screen personalization, provides visual identification for which account is the currently active one.

    The home screen is personalized to display the active user’s full name or username (depending on the user’s display preferences).

    Users can add and access multiple library cards from the My Library Cards screen. Cards are added by tapping on the ‘Add card’ button and logging in with that account.

    The dot indicators correspond with the number of accounts that have been added. In the example on the left, there are two accounts. The card with the label ‘In use’ is the currently active account, and the active account is always in the first position.

    An avatar at the top of the screen indicates which account is the currently active one. The avatar can be found on the following screens:

    • My Borrowing
    • My Shelves
    • Unregistering account
    • Bib page

    In addition to the user avatar, the bib page displays the active user’s information in the availability panel.

    Tapping on the avatar activates the account switcher, which allows the user to switch to a different account. The ‘YOU’ label is displayed for the currently active account.

    User information for the active account is also displayed in the Settings screen. Tapping on this takes you to the My Library Cards screen.

    How to Add an Account

    It is easy to add more than one account. This is done by adding cards from the My Library Cards screen.

    1. On the Home Screen, tap on the library card icon.
    2. From the My Library Cards screen tap ‘Add a card’.
    3. Enter the login credentials for the card you would like to add. Logging in requires:
      • Library barcode (this is the 7- to 14-digit number on the library card) OR username.
      • PIN (personal identification number).
    4. Upon successful login, the library card will be added, but will default to an “inactive” state. If you would like to switch to this account immediately, then tap “Use this card” (see How to Switch an Account).

    Some additional notes:

    • There is a maximum limit of 8 cards that can be added.
    • When you log in with a new account from the login screen, that card is automatically added and will become the active account.
    • Added accounts do not persist across multiple devices you might have BiblioApps installed on. Accounts need to be added for each device separately.

    How to Switch an Account

    The active account can be switched from multiple places in BiblioApps.

    Switching accounts from My Library Cards

    1. Swipe to the card that you’d like to activate. (The currently active account is always the first card in the collection of cards).
    2. To activate a card, tap on the Use this card button.
    3. Alternatively, tap on the ellipsis on the card to be activated, then tap on the Use this card button from the bottom sheet.
    4. Upon successful activation, a success message will be presented, and the activated card will take the first position.

    Additional notes:

    • A library card is still scannable when in an “inactive” state, so switching the account is not necessary for the purposes of scanning.
    • You can also switch accounts from the Setting screen. Tapping on ‘Manage cards' will take you to the My Library Cards screen.

    Switching Accounts Using the Avatar

    Tapping on the user avatar brings up the account switcher. The avatar is visible on the following screens:

    • My Borrowing
    • My Shelves
    • Unregistering account
    • Bib page

    To switch accounts using the avatar:

    1. Tap on the avatar located at the top right of the screen.
    2. The account switcher will display from the bottom of the screen. Select the account you’d like to activate. (The currently active account is the first one presented, and displays the ‘YOU' label.)
    3. Upon successful activation, a success message will be presented. The avatar will be updated to the newly active account.

    How to Remove an Account

    Removing accounts from BiblioApps is done from the My Library Cards screen.

    1. On the Home Screen, tap on the library card icon.
    2. Swipe to the card that is to be removed.
    3. Tap on the ellipsis, then tap on the Remove card button.
    4. The user will be asked to confirm removing the card. 
    5. Tapping on Confirm removes the card, and a success message is displayed.

    Additional notes:

    • The currently active account cannot be removed. To remove the card for the active account, activate a different card first.
    • Logging out of the app does not remove cards. Cards are removed explicitly by following the steps above. However, deleting the app does remove all the stored accounts. Upon reinstalling the app, cards will need to be added again.
    • Unregistering an account removes the card from the app.

    Opting Out of Multi-Accounts

    Currently, individuals do not have the option to opt out of multi-accounts. If a user does not want anyone adding or switching to their account, a user can change their PIN. This will mean any other user attempting to switch to the account will need to remove and re-add the account with updated credentials.  Note: adding an account requires both the barcode and the PIN for the account.  A user cannot add an account with only the barcode.

    You'll find titles that aren't offered in our digital collection with Deep Search. Deep Search activates when you run a search and the title is not found in our collection. If there is a title you want to read that Christchurch City Libraries doesn't have, add a Notify Me tag to express your interest in that title. You will be notified if that title gets added to our collection.

    Learn more: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6260.htm

    1. To activate deep search click the filter button
    2. Scroll to the bottom and click deep search show the titles that are now available to show
    3. To add the Notify me tag click the grey card with the bell

    Yes. We have a number of apps and tools available for library users. The CCL Mobile - Bibliocommons app allows you to easily search for titles in the catalogue, put on holds, and manage your account. There are also apps for some of our popular eResources. 

    • Libby’s minimum iOS version is now iOS 10. To use Libby on an iOS device, users are required to update their device’s operating system to iOS 10 or newer. These are the steps to update your iOS operating system version.
    • The legacy OverDrive for Mac desktop app is only supported on macOS versions 10.12.1 through 10.14.

    Users on legacy web browsers may experience issues loading libbyapp.com or your OverDrive website and should upgrade to a newer browser version, if possible.

    For more information and troubleshooting tips, check out Libby Help and OverDrive Help.

    Yes. Find out more about the LinkedIn Learning App

    The PressReader app is asking you for money as you are no longer recognised as a PressReader “hot spot”.

    If your app isn't signed in the sign in button will appear at the bottom 

    Click this and sign in using your library card.

    If the sign in isn't an option, it means you are already signed in you can select a newspaper or magazine and you should get a screen to add your library card.

    To add you library card click the gold coloured icon

    You may have to search for Christchurch City Libraries, then add your library card and password / pin.

    Follow this steps and you should now have a refreshed "hotspot" (green cup) and able to use PressReader again.

    Simply visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, search for the BorrowBox Library app and press the Update button.

    IPHONE/IPOD/IPAD

    Navigate to the Settings tab, go to the Account Details section and press the Reset button.

    Please note that all current downloads will be lost. You will then be asked to sign in again.

    ANDROID

    Press the Menu button at the top right of the screen or on some devices below the screen and select Account Details. On the following screen select the Reset App option.