How to read for FREE on your Kindle device!

To kick this blog off, I just want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has reached out and for those who have shared their knowledge and experience with me. I love this community and love getting to share in our love of reading with one another! Thank you for following me on my various adventures and for being here :)

Some things to note:

I have a Kindle Paperwhite but love all methods of reading! You can read more about my preferences between each method here. I also currently have a Kindle Unlimited account (priced at around $10 a month), but honestly, using Libby has been a total game changer! When I am not purchasing physical copies of books, I am often using my Kindle Unlimited to download a book, or purchasing a Kindle copy on Amazon. Most Kindle purchases are often the same price as the physical copies as well, whereas using Libby is free 99!

So now that we got those minor details out of the way, let's get you your first free book!

Step One : Getting a Digital Library Card

Go to your local library's website and sign up for a digital card! There is usually a direct link somewhere in the navigation bar at the top of the website. An example can be found below..

After signing up for a digital library card, the library will redirect you to a screen that should display your new library card's information and your library card number. The library should also email you this information. Make sure to keep the library card number handy as you'll need it for the next step.

Step Two : Setting up Libby

In a separate tab, go to libbyapp.com. This desktop application is super user-friendly. Upon opening this link, the steps will direct you on how to plug in your library card number and set up your new Libby account.

Step Three : Search and Check out a Library Book!

Now it's time to explore and check out your first book! Note, most libraries also have e-books and even magazines available to check out as well! You can explore the lists of books that are available right now to download, filter based off of a specific genre, or click the magnifying glass to search for a specific keyword. Some books may have all e-book copies checked out, but just like any physical library, you can add yourself to a waitlist and the book will be sent directly to your device once a copy is available.

After searching and finding an item you want to check out, simply click on the "Borrow" button on the right. And then click "BORROW!" again once directed to that screen.

After officially checking out your item, click on the "Read with..." and select "Kindle." In my example, I already had completed that step, so with my next rental "Read with Kindle" was already listed as a default.

This will then redirect you to Amazon. You then just need to click on the button on the right that says "Get Library Book." Note: you will need to select which device it should deliver to within your account. Also note that it says when the loan expires.

CONGRATS!

You have successfully checked out your first library book!

If you open your device now, you should see your free library book in your library! Make sure you are connected to Wifi and off of airplane mode so that your device can sync to your account.

Other Helpful Tips & Tricks!

1. Most rentals last for a period of 14 days. Once you've had the book for 14 days, the book will be "returned" AKA taken off of your Amazon account and shelf. However, a friend reached out and shared this hack with me! If you downloaded a ton of books and bit off way too much on your plate, simply turn on Airplane mode! Although you won't be able to install any new books (because it needs to sync to your account over Wifi), you will be able to still view your checked out books even AFTER the 14 day period. And no worries, you're not hurting anyone or any other library readers by doing this. If this book is on hold, those readers will still get their copy. (According to my helpful source!).

2. Super popular books may be checked out at the max amount of copies and have long wait times at specific libraries. However, many libraries don't even require you to live in that county to open a library card! So you can connect multiple library cards to you Libby account and check out what each library has to offer.

3. Depending on the library, your max amount of loans and holds may differ! I currently have two library cards connected on my Libby and one library has a max of 15 loans while the other has a max of 10.

If you have any further tips & tricks that weren't listed on here, or have any questions, please reach out to me on Instagram @mapuamade or contact me through here! Either way, I hope you found this blog entry helpful and find lots of great reads! :)