🔍 Product Review: Libby app
How a free app could save public libraries (and make reading cool again)
Apparently, I have ~ r e a d i n g ~ on my mind this month. If you loved my hot take on how reading fiction helps us innovate last week, get ready because we're going to get nerdy about libraries! This week, we're exploring Libby, the app that's quietly revolutionizing how we access books. I use this app religiously and think often on how to 10x its impact – let's dig in! 👇
📚 Cultural moment
We're living through a fascinating renaissance in reading culture. Between BookTok making reading viral (400B+ views and counting!) and celebs making book clubs cool again (Reese’s Book Club!), there's more chatter about reading than in years past.
AI has also entered the scene. The publishing industry will evolve as consumers change what they’re reading and how they read it.
And yet, while book clubs are having their main character moment (pun), and AI changes the publishing industry, public libraries are fighting for their lives. Budget cuts, political pressure, book bans, fewer people reading than ever before, you name it – libraries need a win. And that's where Libby comes in, positioned perfectly at the intersection of digital convenience and public good. It's basically "BookTok meets your local library!" Look at this adorable pro-library propaganda!
🧩 What is Libby?
Libby is your library card's digital twin. You plug in your existing library card number, and suddenly you've got access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks. No late fees, no subscription renewals, just books magically appearing on your device like it's the future we were promised.
The core experience is beautifully simple: browse, borrow, read. Kinda like Netflix, but for books, and completely free.
🗺 What are they trying to do?
Open the app and you'll notice something interesting: they're trying to make borrowing books feel as frictionless as streaming a show. Their mission? Make libraries feel less like dusty buildings and more like modern content platforms.
But I think there's something bigger happening here. Libby isn't just trying to digitize libraries; they're trying to make them relevant for a generation that expects everything to be two taps away.
🧪 How do they measure success?
If I were on their team, I'd be obsessing over two key metrics:
Active readers: While downloads matter – it's how many people that are actually reading books through the app that count. Each active reader is proof that libraries still matter in our digital world. Here’s a look at active users over the last two years. This is about ~1% of library cardholders in the US.
Libby active users over the last two years Hold-to-borrow conversion: When someone puts a hold on "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow," do they actually end up reading it? Low conversion might mean people are getting frustrated with wait times and giving up.
💪 What is working?
Getting started is easy-ish
“Just show me your library card" is a quick way to get you started. One number, and you're in. 66% of Americans have a library card so there’s a clear market for the app. If you don’t have a card, they help you figure out how to get one.
The price is right
In a world where every app is trying to sneak into your monthly budget, Libby's out here being the real MVP. No subscription, no hidden fees, no premium tier – just free books, courtesy of your local library.
It just works
The core experience – borrowing and reading books – is smooth. The e-reader is clean and intuitive, audiobooks play without drama, and everything syncs like it should. You can also use your preferred e-reader. I typically download them on my Kindle.
📈 How can they make it better?
The waitlist situation is ... damning
We get it – libraries have limited copies. But waiting 3 months to read the book everyone's talking about on the Internet feels very 2009. How about letting book clubs "pool" their holds? Or creating a points system where active users get faster access? While this is likely a complicated undertaking due to licensing, getting creative here would go a long way.
Discovery needs work
If I just finished the ACOTAR series, don't just show me what's popular – show me more romantasy. Compare Libby’s content recommendations to TikTok's For You algorithm, which feels like it’s reading my mind, and Libby’s experience is lacking. It knows what I’m reading, but doesn’t personalize.
Make it more social
For an app that's essentially powering thousands of book clubs, it's anti-social. Where's my ability to share highlights? Create reading groups? Host digital book clubs? Reading has become a team sport (thanks, BookTok), but Libby is still playing solo.
💡 How might you 10x the impact?
Use AI to reimagine the e-reading experience
Kindle's been doing the same basic e-reader thing since 2007. But Libby could completely flip the script on how we experience books! Imagine an AI-powered reading companion that brings stories to life. Diving into "Pride and Prejudice"? Get real-time context about Regency-era social customs that'll make you feel like a 19th-century insider. Not only could this be a compelling differentiator, it will also be hard for Amazon to build and scale.
Build the Book Club OS
Imagine if you could organize your entire book club through Libby. Pick books, schedule meetings (virtual or IRL), coordinate with your local library for meeting space, and even get priority access for your group. Turn "waiting forever for a book" into "let's read it together now."
Revenue share with libraries
What if Libby offered premium features that revenue-shared with libraries? Think: book club features like the above, enhanced audiobook quality, exclusive author content, early access to new releases. Users get more features, libraries get more funding, everyone wins.
Note that maintaining a strong Freemium product is critical for accessibility and their mission, but funding a better user experience for everyone with a paid tier could help libraries everywhere. BookShop.org sends profits from book sales back to indie booksellers; what does the library version of this look like?
Make discovery delightful
When you go into a bookstore and bookstore staff has written little book reviews next to books for sale, but browseable. Add short video reviews from librarians and readers. Share quotes from reviews. Make finding your next read as engaging as finding your next binge-watch.
Evolve the brand to be mission-driven
Push the brand to be more culturally relevant, more pro-library, and more mission-driven. Duolingo is not quiet about the fact that its mission is to make learning languages free and universally accessible. Every user could become part of the movement.
📣 Your turn!
What do you think about Libby? Have you tried it? What features would make you use it more? Drop your thoughts below – and hey, what app should we review next? 👇
PS: If you're still paying for Audible or downloading Kindle books from Amazon ... maybe give your local library (and Libby) a try first? The world thanks you. 😉
Adding on! Libby could easily move in on Goodreads (and its less-than-stellar UX). Although Libby’s tagging is nice, it’s not the most engaging. Imagine being able to review books and engage with other readers in the Libby app, while also setting reading goals and sharing with friends. Everything in one place? My personal dream.
And while Goodreads is monetized with publisher incentives, and this may not align well as-is with Libby’s mission, there’s absolutely a creative solution that could tap into publishers for monetary support. With the right positioning, I imagine supporting libraries is something publishers could get behind—with mutual benefits like new release giveaways, of course.
p.s. I hear you on Libby’s wait times too! Personally, it’s never bothered me because it feels like waiting for a physical book at the library (that’s at least how my brain justifies waiting). There has to be some publisher hurdle here that could be solved with some creative negotiation 🤔