OverDrive eBooks and eAudioBooks
Getting started on OverDrive
Borrow ebooks, and audiobooks, to read on your phone or tablet using the Libby app, opens a new window by OverDrive. Our OverDrive collection contains thousands of fiction and non-fiction titles for adults, young adults and children. We also have eBooks in Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Tagalog.
You can browse our OverDrive collection, opens a new window of ebooks and audiobooks, on your computer through the website or via the Libby app.
Using Overdrive you can:
- Borrow up to 30 titles from home at any time;
- Place a hold on up to ten titles;
- Use on a mobile device using Libby app;
- Download titles and read or listen to offline;
- Transfer titles to eReaders (except kindle)
- Avoid late fees — the items self expire or you can return items early if you have finished with them.
OverDrive eBooks are compatible with most eBook readers and mobile devices except the Kindle Reader and app. The Kindle Fire Tablets are fine. Devices compatible with Libby.
Libby - the OverDrive app
OverDrive FAQs
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Libby's Skip the Line collection are special copies of popular titles that we've set aside from the holds list so you can borrow them straight away. They work like our Bestseller Collection in our libraries, except they are in digital format and free! Titles in our Skip the Line collection are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you find a Skip the Line title, you can borrow it immediately but it does come with a few unique rules.
Skip the Line copies of titles:
- Have a two-week loan
- Can't be renewed
- Have a limit of one at a time.
In Libby, Skip the line copies are marked with a shamrock icon. You will see the Skip the Line list on our Libby homepage, in search results, or when browsing. There's also a Skip the line filter on the Search page.
On our OverDrive homepage you'll see our full Skip the Line collection.
If you want a longer lending period and don't mind waiting, you can still place a hold on a Skip the Line title.
Here's more information about how to place a hold on a Skip the Line title in Libby.
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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.
- Install the Libby app from your device’s app store.
- In Libby, follow the prompts to find your library and sign in with a library card and PIN/password
- Browse your library's catalog, then borrow a book or audiobook or open a magazine.
- 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
- iOS devices: Apple App Store
- Android devices: Google Play
- Amazon Fire tablets: Amazon Appstore
For Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks open libbyapp.com
Note: libbyapp.com works best in up-to-date versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. -
OverDrive is removing the MP3 audiobook format from our OverDrive website on November 13 2024. At the same time support for OverDrive's legacy desktop app for Windows and MAC is ending too.
OverDrive’s legacy desktop app for Windows and Mac was required for downloading MP3 audiobooks. This app has not been available to install since February 2022. As a result, this has caused confusion for customers who tried download the MP3 audiobook format but couldn't install the necessary software.
After this change, you can listen to audiobooks using the following options:
- Stream on a computer using the “Listen now in browser” format on our OverDrive website
- Stream on a computer using libbyapp.com
- Download for offline listening using Libby on a supported Android, iOS, or Amazon Fire device. Here's some tips for switching to Libby from OverDrive.
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You can borrow, read and listen to OverDrive eBooks and eAudiobooks directly from the catalogue.
There is no longer an option to download OverDrive titles from catalogue.
The easiest way to download OverDrive eBooks and eAudiobooks for offline use is in OverDrive's Libby app on your mobile device.
Download the Libby app
You can still download OverDrive ebooks to your Windows or Mac computer for offline use, or transfer to an eReader in
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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
- To activate deep search click the filter button
- Scroll to the bottom and click deep search show the titles that are now available to show
- To add the Notify me tag click the grey card with the bell
