Libby

This #thankyouthursday, I am grateful for Libby.

Libby is an app that lets me keep my local library in my pocket, which means that I am never at a loss for (free!) reading material.

I confess that it is easy to take Libby—and the libraries it connects to—for granted. Because checking out a book is as easy as scrolling on my phone, I can forget that I am receiving the same benefits as if I were to go to a physical library and check out a physical book.

But what I don’t take for granted is the joy and importance of reading, and I am so grateful that Libby facilitates a steady stream of education and inspiration into my life.

One of my favorite features is the “Hold” function—whenever I hear about a book I want to read, I search for it on Libby, and if it’s not immediately available, I just add it to my Holds list and forget about it. Then a few days or weeks or months later, I get an email that the book has been automatically checked out for me, and because there is a built-in deadline (most loans last for two weeks), I make it a priority to get reading ASAP.

That means my reading list...actually gets read.

Thanks to Libby, last year I read important nonfiction like Just Mercy and Evicted, as well as fiction like Kindred, The Sun Is Also a Star, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight, and The Testaments.

(And lest you think all my library loans involve social justice/awareness, note that I also borrowed the entire Sookie Stackhouse series, as well as plenty of The Skimm’s fiction recommendations, like The Dutch House and City of Girls.)

I used to feel guilty for using the library so much when I know how important it is to buy books. But a natural consequence of me reading great stuff for free is that I often buy a copy for a friend, or in the case of works like Evicted, I purchase one for myself for keeps. So it works out.

Plus, not everyone has the means to spend money on books, but everyone deserves to benefit from books.

So thank goodness for libraries, and for the way they incorporate apps like Libby to accommodate the shifting needs of a modern society that is basically glued to their phones. Because if you’re going to be glued to your phone, you might as well use it to get a good book.

Love > fear,
Christina

p.s. What do you want to read this year? I’d love for you to hit reply and share—my Holds list is currently on the short side!