How to Satisfy Your Love of Reading Without Spending a Dollar

Last week I was introduced to Libby.  Libby is a cool chick and our relationship comes with a lot of benefits, but I have to admit, it is very one-sided. Let me explain. Last Friday, I went to the Largo Public Library – which is beautiful by the way and warrants its own post – and my life was forever changed.  I know that sounds dramatic, but hear me out.  As someone who reads a lot for school and for pleasure, I buy a lot of books. My husband is a big reader and so are my two little boys. We all love reading and we probably love buying books as much as reading them – I come from the school of thought that reading should be tangible and that there is nothing like holding a book in your hands and flipping through its pages. There is an inexplicable joy that comes from holding a book, yet I also recognize the value in e-books and audiobooks.

I have had the discussion with several friends of mine about the trends away from physical books as ebooks and audiobooks, in particular, become the busybody’s preferred choice for digesting tombs.  I have always been a visual and kinesthetic learner, but as I get older and find myself multi-tasking more and more, audiobooks have a special place in my arsenal of reading materials. That is where Libby comes in.

As I drove my car into the parking lot of the Largo Public Library and fixed my eyes on the brightly colored BookMobile parked just outside, I was instantly excited to unearth what lay beyond its doors. I had asked my friend Joy to come and experience the BookMobile with me and she was just as captivated as I was the moment we pulled up. The scenery was beautiful, but there was something about the big bright bus that made us want to know more.

When we walked into the BookMobile, there were screens, large and small throughout.  The traveling exhibit was on tour around the country to introduce Libby to citizens near and far. See, Libby isn’t an actual person, she is a virtual one, and she just so happens to be one of my new besties. At first, the idea of an app where I would have to borrow books seemed elusive and complicated, but the more I played with it the more excited I became.  What enthralled me the most was the exponential amount of money I would be able to save by using the resources offered by my own public library.  Instead of spending hundreds of dollars a month on books, some that I may want to read and reread and some that I will never want to give a second glance, the idea of borrowing books via an app became even more appealing.

Want to meet Libby? Check her out here at Meet.LibbyApp.com. You can also learn more about Libby on OverDrive.com, her creator’s website.  OverDrive, birthed Libby with an exorbitant amount of love and you can tell.  I highly encourage you to check out their website and learn more.

Since Friday, I have already downloaded several books for myself and my sons.  They have a really cool feature where some of their children’s books are narrated, which is super duper awesome when you are on the road and want your kids to read in the car but said kids are only three and four and therefore unable to read without some help. I was also able to download a book in about two seconds after fellow blogger, Katie Warner suggested one related to the Sunday Liturgy of the week.  The book was Roxy the Ritzy Camel by Anthony DeStefano – I totally recommend the book in case you’re wondering.

I even got my husband in on the fun! He has been trying to read the book Give and Take by Adam Grant for over three months after a colleague gave it to him, but with all his other commitments, including family, he hasn’t had time to sit down and read it.  He set out to look for the audiobook on Libby and he found it! He had to place a hold on it but after only 24-hours it was ready and automatically added to our “shelf.”  The convenience of having it on audio afforded us the opportunity to listen to about thirty minutes in the car today just while running errands with the kids and we didn’t have to spend a dollar! It was a win-win.

I am telling you, this is life changing for us. I have a lot of friends who love to read on their Kindle and Libby will even send the books to your preferred device.  What more could you want from a girl?! I told you the relationship is very one-sided.

Below are a bunch of pictures Joy and I took while visiting the BookMobile.  I want to know if you have tried Libby or if you have visited the BookMobile.  Please share your thoughts and experiences with me! Happy reading and listening.

  

This was cross-posted on Dama Camelia.