Library borrowing: Overdrive vs. Libby

[Catlady]

OK, you folks are all right and I'm wrong. I found the setting and changed it. It is something that changed unbeknownst to me on my old computer around the time that I was learning about the eventual changeover to Libby, so I associated the two things; now I guess the culprit was probably a Firefox update.

But it is still true that OverDrive is making it more difficult to download audiobooks to the PC. I had to install an old version of the console to get it to work with Windows 11.

[MGlitch]

Honestly good riddance to the overdrive app, it's terrible and should have been discontinued years ago when Libby was released. Libby is objectively the better app of the two.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Honestly good riddance to the overdrive app, it's terrible and should have been discontinued years ago when Libby was released. Libby is objectively the better app of the two.

But Overdrive discontinued Libby for Windows. So there's no way to get audiobooks downloaded to a Windows computer then using the old Overdrive.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Honestly good riddance to the overdrive app, it's terrible and should have been discontinued years ago when Libby was released. Libby is objectively the better app of the two.

Honestly, you're totally wrong and shouldn't be thinking your opinion should be forced on everyone. YOU were free to stop using the Overdrive app immediately when Libby came out. To think it needed to be discontinued for everyone else is how tyrants think. Sic semper tyrannis.

[Fat Abe]

I'm still using Overdrive until the drop-dead date is announced for a Libby-only interface. Please set up an account on Libby, and practice sync'ing your Overdrive wish list [and hold list(?)] with Libby. The hold list may be automatically transitioned. I just hope that they do not try to force a new encryption standard on epub books when Libby rules the waves. That would break most of the old ereaders.

[haertig]

They have made changes in how audiobooks are handled in Libby. Used to be, with the Overdrive app, you could copy the MP3 files from an audiobook download directly over to an MP3 player (like an old Sansa device like I still use on walks). You have to know where to find the MP3 files, but that was easy enough. Depending on the size of the audiobook, there were maybe half a dozen to two dozen MP3 files, numbered so that they would play in order.

Now, Libby downloads a ton of files for an audiobook. Nondescript naming, so you don't know the sequence. These are probably still MP3 files, but you couldn't tell that by the naming (file extension). I'm sure this was done to make things more difficult for people who want to steal audiobooks. But it made things no longer worthwhile to try to listen to your audiobook on an actually MP3 player device (these are going the way of the dinosaurs, but I still like the super small size and will continue using mine until it dies). But unfortunately, it appears I won't be using my Sansa with audiobooks anymore. It can't do Audible, and now library audiobooks are no longer simple MP3's that are named in a convenient manner for playback.

I've never really listened to many audiobooks. Mostly just random and rare occasions. I guess those occasions are going to get even more rare now that Libby has arrived. I hate listening on my smartphone, even though Smart Audiobook Player is a fantastic app. I am still a corded earbud user and the dangling cord and flat face of a smartphone screen (you can't do things by feel) are a killer for the user interface. I used to clip my nearly weightless Sansa to my shirt collar or sleeve and work the controls by feel, not looking at the device. That's why I like that MP3 so much (especially with Rockbox firmware installed).

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

I just hope that they do not try to force a new encryption standard on epub books when Libby rules the waves. That would break most of the old ereaders.

Originally Posted by haertig

But it made things no longer worthwhile to try to listen to your audiobook on an actually MP3 player device (these are going the way of the dinosaurs

I am a dinosaur and I like my dinosaur toys. My newest Kobo is over six years old and the OverDrive function broke years ago; sideloading library books isn’t a problem and I prefer the Aura One form factor to the newer Kobos. And while I listen to audiobooks on a smart phone while dry, my waterproof MP3 player was a life-altering device and fed mostly with OverDrive audiobooks. I’ve already planned to rejoin Downpour if necessary to get DRM-free audiobooks, but I’d like to keep the library option.

[Barty]

I haven't used Libby much. Am I correct to say you can only read Libby borrows using the Libby app?

[ApK]

[deleted]

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Barty

I haven't used Libby much. Am I correct to say you can only read Libby borrows using the Libby app?

The Kobo-available ones just sync directly to my Kobo.

Or you can go to Overdrive on your computer, grab the acsm, and download an epub with ADE.

[odamizu]

https://resources.overdrive.com/libby-faqs/

... We plan to fully discontinue the legacy OverDrive app at the end of April 2023. At that time, users who try to access your library’s collection in the OverDrive app will need to upgrade to Libby.

... The Recommend to Library (RTL) feature will be discontinued across all platforms with the OverDrive app sunset at the end of April ... From the expanded search results, users with access to multiple libraries will see relevant results from other saved libraries and titles that are not currently offered by any of their libraries. If a title isn’t offered by any, the user can add a Notify Me tag to be notified if one of their libraries adds it.

... "Users can still browse, borrow, and enjoy titles from your library’s OverDrive website."

Also, the FAQ continues to say: "Users who previously downloaded the legacy OverDrive for Windows or OverDrive for Mac desktop programs can continue to use these applications without disruption by downloading audiobooks from your library’s .overdrive.com website." It's unclear if this is an oversight to be corrected or if the discontinuation of the OverDrive app only means phone and tablet apps

ETA: The Libby FAQ has been updated to say that while the "legacy OverDrive app for iOS, Android and Windows 8/10" will be discontinued at the end of April 2023 ... "The legacy OverDrive for Windows and OverDrive for Mac desktop software that allows users to download audiobooks and transfer them to dedicated MP3 players will not be sunset at the end of April."

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Barty

I haven't used Libby much. Am I correct to say you can only read Libby borrows using the Libby app?

No, if it's a Kindle book it goes temporarily to your Amazon account and you can read it on any Kindle app/device just like with the Overdrive apps. I'm not sure what happens with the epubs (might still be doing the acsm thing) but there are also some selected books you can only read through the app. (I've accidentally checked out and immediately returned these; they weren't high value books to me and I like to read on my Kindle).

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Joykins

No, if it's a Kindle book it goes temporarily to your Amazon account and you can read it on any Kindle app/device just like with the Overdrive apps. I'm not sure what happens with the epubs (might still be doing the acsm thing)

As I said above, acsm/ADE/sideloading is an option, but every novel I've borrowed has just synced directly with my Kobo after hitting the Borrow button. This only works in countries where direct Kobo/Overdrive integration is supported.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by odamizu

... The Recommend to Library (RTL) feature will be discontinued across all platforms with the OverDrive app sunset at the end of April ... From the expanded search results, users with access to multiple libraries will see relevant results from other saved libraries and titles that are not currently offered by any of their libraries. If a title isn’t offered by any, the user can add a Notify Me tag to be notified if one of their libraries adds it.:

That's odd on discontinuing this. I didn't pay much attention on Libby, but perhaps it was mainly an Overdrive thing. I did use it with my local library.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

That's odd on discontinuing this. I didn't pay much attention on Libby, but perhaps it was mainly an Overdrive thing. I did use it with my local library.

I use it heavily. But reading on shows that the Notify Me tag will functionally be the same as Recommend:

OverDrive Marketplace will offer new tools to help your library evaluate Notify Me tags data as part of your collection development process. In Marketplace, you can view Notify Me tag data when shopping for titles, generate carts and on-demand reports for titles with Notify Me tags, and evaluate trends in usage of the feature over time.