How to Borrow Free Library Books on Your Kindle

What you need

• A library card from a public library that offers Libby (many US libraries do)
• The free Libby app on your phone or tablet, or the Libby website
• An Amazon account linked to your Kindle
• A US location. Libby’s help center says Kindle delivery is available in the US only.

Step by step: Libby to Kindle

1. Add your library card in Libby. Open Libby, find your library and sign in with your card number and PIN.

2. Find and borrow an ebook. Search or browse, then tap Borrow. If the title is checked out, tap Place Hold. Libby will notify you when it’s ready. Before borrowing, check that Kindle appears under Read With on the book’s page. If it doesn’t, the title isn’t offered in Kindle format.

3. Open your loans. Tap Shelf in the bottom navigation, then Loans at the top.

4. Choose Kindle. On the book, tap Read With…, then Kindle.

5. Finish on Amazon. Libby sends you to Amazon’s website. Sign in if prompted, then tap Get Library Book.

6. Sync your Kindle. The book is delivered to the devices linked to your Amazon account. Make sure your Kindle is on Wi-Fi and sync it if the book doesn’t appear right away.

Note that the book goes to every device on that Amazon account, not just one. Libby’s help center also recommends reading in the Libby app rather than sending to Kindle if you use a Fire tablet.

If the book won’t send

Libby lists three common causes:

1. No Kindle format. Not every library ebook is offered for Kindle. Check Read With on the book’s page.
2. You already opened it in another format. If you downloaded the book as an EPUB or read it in Libby, you need to borrow it again before you can send it to Kindle.
3. Your reading preference is set to Libby. Change it in Libby’s settings so Kindle appears as an option.

What doesn’t work

• Audiobooks. Library audiobooks play in the Libby app on your phone or tablet, not on a Kindle e-reader, even though Kindles support Bluetooth audio for Audible.
• Outside the US. Kindle delivery from Libby is US-only. Readers elsewhere can read in the Libby app, or use a Kobo.
• Every title. Availability depends on your library’s collection and the publisher. Popular books often have wait lists.

Tips for shorter waits

• Add more than one library card. If you’re eligible for cards at more than one library system, Libby lets you add them all and search across them.
• Place holds early. Holds on new releases can run long, so queue up books you’ll want in a few months.
• Use tags to track books. Tag titles you want to read so you can check availability quickly.

The Kobo alternative: built-in library borrowing

If library books are your main source, a Kobo e-reader is simpler. Many newer Kobo models have OverDrive built in, so you link your library card once and browse, borrow and read directly on the e-reader, with no phone step and no Amazon redirect. Libby’s help center calls this the best way to borrow on a Kobo.

To set it up, Kobo says to add your library under My Account > Library Cards and sign in to Libby by OverDrive using the QR code on screen. Then borrow from Discover on the device and sync. Holds work too: you’ll get an email when a title is ready.

Kobo’s built-in borrowing also works outside the US in countries Kobo lists, including Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. One limitation: Libby audiobooks and magazines aren’t supported on Kobo either.

The Kobo Clara BW is the lowest-priced Kobo with this feature, launching at $159.99 with IPX8 waterproofing. Prices change, so check the retailer. If you already have a Kindle library, though, sticking with a Kindle and Libby is usually the better move. See Kindle vs. Kobo for the full trade-off.

Is it worth getting a Kindle just for library books?

If you’re in the US, Libby to Kindle works well, and the Kindle Paperwhite is a comfortable all-round reader for it. If you mostly read library books and never buy from Amazon, a Kobo removes steps. Either way, library ebooks cost nothing, which makes them the best value in reading. Compare the options in our best e-readers guide, or see the trade-offs in digital vs. physical books.