The e-book revolution had already transformed the concept of “going to the library,” even before the pandemic confined large swaths of the population to their homes and shuttered many public libraries in 2020. Forced isolation fueled the popularity of borrowing e-books and audiobooks from local public libraries.

As travel restrictions fade and libraries once again open to the public, new habits of borrowing all the books you want from your couch have become more firmly established. Services like OverDrive let public libraries distribute their collections virtually as e-books, which you can read via apps on your iOS or Android device or easily transfer to dedicated e-reader devices, such as a Kindle, Kobo, or Nook. Here’s how to get started.

OverDrive is one of the world’s most popular distribution platforms for e-books, audiobooks, music, and videos. Libby is OverDrive’s app, designed for iOS and Android devices as well as on the Web via a desktop or laptop computer. It lets patrons browse their library’s content and check out selections. To begin, download the Libby app from either the Play Store for Android devices or the App Store for iOS devices. Once downloaded, follow the steps below to begin borrowing e-books from your public library.

Borrowing e-books for your Kindle is essentially the same process as borrowing for iOS and Android, except after tapping Borrow a second time, do this:

All modern Kobo devices can download from the OverDrive library service directly, without the separate Libby app. To begin, turn on your Kobo and make sure it is connected to Wi-Fi. Once ready, follow the steps to borrow e-books from your public library using your Kobo device:

The interface for Android or iOS looks like this:

All Nook devices support public libraries. Go to your local library’s website to find out if they support it and which service allows access to their digital collection. You’ll need your Nook device, a local library card, user ID and PIN, and Wi-Fi to get started. If you have a Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Nook HD, or Nook HD+, download the 3M Cloud Library App to find out the name of the app your local library uses.

To borrow library eBooks on Nook Classic, Nook Simple Touch, Nook Simple Touch Glowlight, or Nook Glowlight, you’ll need your Nook device, a desktop or laptop computer PC or Mac, a local library card, a user ID and PIN, and internet access.

For the Nook, Nook Color, and Nook Touch, you can follow the steps below to manually transfer your OverDrive library books from a computer. For Nook tablet devices that run Android, Libby is the easiest solution. Before following the steps below, follow this link to download Adobe Digital Editions — the program used to borrow books for Nook, Nook Color, and Nook Touch.

Your library e-book automatically returns itself once your library loan has expired. To return the book early, open the Libby app and select the Shelf option at the bottom of the screen. Then, tap on the e-book you wish to manage and select Return Early. If you have a Nook device and used the OverDrive website, you can revisit the website and log in using your library card. Once signed in, go to the My Account section and pick Loans. From here, you can choose to return any of your books early.

If you are having trouble with obtaining an e-book from the OverDrive service, we recommend you contact your local public library and speak to a reference librarian. Most librarians are familiar with the process of obtaining digital books. Some libraries may not host their collections with OverDrive. If this is the case, a librarian can direct you to the correct location for obtaining books. Additionally, if you do not have a library card, a librarian can help you with the process.