Let’s talk about one of the best-kept secrets in the book world.
Actually, it’s not a secret at all. It’s been sitting in the middle of towns and cities for centuries, joyfully offering books galore while everyone else gets distracted by Netflix and Amazon.
I’m talking about getting free books from libraries.
If you’re a reader, a library card might be the most valuable thing in your wallet. It gives you access to thousands of books, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and sometimes even films and music—all without spending a penny.
And no, borrowing books from a library doesn’t make you a cheapskate. It makes you sensible. Which is useful, because most readers have already spent enough money on books to finance a small moon landing. (Fun fact: Emmy went into space once—no, really—but the spacecraft lost power and she burned up 😭 We’re hopefully trying again with Griffin Mission One. Find out more here).
Kindle Unlimited recently changed their rules too 😁 Previously, KU books had to be totally exclusive, no libraries allowed. But now KU books can also go in libraries—much better for readers!
Borrow Books Without Leaving the Sofa
Many libraries now offer digital borrowing through apps such as:
Libby (OverDrive)
Libby lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks directly from your library. Download the app, enter your library card details, and start reading. Popular books may have waiting lists, but you can place holds and get notified when they’re available.
If you have a Kobo eReader, Libby is fully integrated, and your books will just pop up on your screen, no extra effort needed.
Hoopla
Hoopla often allows instant borrowing, with no waiting lists. Depending on your library, it may include ebooks, audiobooks, comics, films, TV shows, and music.
Author note: Hoopla does have super long processing times—it can take months for books to make it into the catalogue, if they get there at all. So if you can’t see a new release there, that’s likely the reason. Libby processes much faster!
BorrowBox
Popular with many UK libraries, BorrowBox offers ebooks and audiobooks that can be downloaded straight to your phone or tablet. Perfect for commutes, dog walks, or pretending to exercise.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Library
Place holds on popular books
Bestsellers often have waiting lists.
The sooner you reserve them, the sooner you’ll reach the front of the queue.
If you can’t see the book you want in the catalogue, request it
Most libraries have an option to suggest titles for them to carry. This also tells them what kind of books their users are interested in, so then you get more of those.
Follow your library on social media
Libraries regularly highlight new releases, author events, reading challenges, and hidden resources.
Ask your librarian!
Librarians are essentially professional book matchmakers. Tell them what you’ve enjoyed reading and they’ll often suggest books you’d never have found yourself.
Use more than one library card
In some areas, residents qualify for membership at multiple library systems. More library cards often means access to more digital catalogues. More catalogues means more books. And more books = happiness 😁
Notes from an author…
One question I see pop up often is “If I get the books free, do authors get paid?” So I’ll dish the dirt (which isn’t really dirt, but I’m a romance author, so I should include a little grubbiness somewhere.
Anyhow, the short answer is yes! We do get paid. You’re already paying for libraries from your taxes, and that’s where the money comes from.
Libraries work with two payment models:
OCOU (One copy, one user)
The library pays a fixed price per book, usually a bit more than the retail price. Then the library owns that book, and they can lend it out to one person at a time, just the same as they would with a physical book. The author gets paid once. This is how Libby and BorrowBox work.
CPC (Cost per checkout)
Libraries list the book in their catalogue, and every time a user borrows it, the author receives a small payment (usually around a tenth of the full purchase price). So there’s no waiting list, no holds, and users can borrow instantly. This is how Hoopla works. Yes, the royalty is less than if you purchase the books, but it’s still a hundred times better than the zero pennies we get when scummy pirates do their thing (plus readers avoid the malware that’s all over pirate sites, win-win).
The downside is that CPC can get hellishly expensive for libraries if you’re a binge reader as all those small payments add up, so some Hoopla libraries restrict the number of borrows a user is allowed each month (see “Use more than one library card” above for a way to get around this).
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