The biggest revelation at the start of this year must have been my adoption of the Libby app. It is amazing how one little thing can completely revolutionize one’s information consumption, both for reading and listening.
Even though I had previously tried all the ebook apps (iBooks, Kindle, Hoopla, Overdrive, and Audible) I’ve generally avoided them due to a fear of the late night screen time keeping me rev’ed up into early morning, even though the real culprit for this phenomena is Youtube’s algorithm.
It took a confluence of quitting social media and the pandemic (which made obtaining physical books more difficult) to lay the groundwork. The specific spark was Tiny Habits. I really wanted to read this book and the only available copy at the library was in ebook format. I sucked it up and read the book on my phone. Not too bad. I followed it up with Death by Meeting which wasn’t even available in a physical format at the library. After that, my new habit was locked in.
Before the pandemic, I was skeptical about the Las Vegas Clark County Library District’s plan to emphasize digital holdings over physical stacks. Now I get it. I have a whole world of knowledge at my fingertips at anytime and any place (as long as I have a phone in my hands).
So what makes Libby succeed where others failed? First, it’s FREE! I have no interest in paying money for books when I’ve bought so many other books as taxpayer in my local jurisdiction. Second, the Overdrive lending model is well aligned with the standard library lending scheme. A patron is given a lending limit, set return dates, and a long hold queue that is super easy to manipulate now that everything is digital. Hoopla has a lot of media, but I find their monthly quotas off putting.
Libby has a simpler interface than Overdrive. You borrow a book and you start reading. Overdrive feels more complicated with no apparent payoff. Libby is a slick app that works with grace. It’s easy to tag stuff, borrow stuff, put stuff on hold, and it syncs up nicely between devices.
Put a bunch of whatevers on hold and these items magically show up on your phone as soon as they become available. Some of them had a long wait, but nothing worse than what it would take to wait for a physical copy. Plus you don’t need to take a trip to the building!
Libby’s audiobook integration is so good that it has essentially eliminated my podcast listening. I had previously assumed that books are too involved for proper listening, but in this busy life, doing chores is sometimes the only available moment to “read”. Libby also has a speed function and I’ve gotten used to modulating the speed in accordance with the density of the writing.
Again, I first started with self help audiobooks, but I’m now listening to more involved stuff. There is so much good stuff out there, written by experts and edited by professionals. Once you step out of current events, audiobooks and Great Courses Lecture series are clearly superior over podcasts.
Podcasts are great if you need immediacy, identify with a specific personality, or have an extremely niche hobby. Beyond those three reasons, it is hard to think why one shouldn’t just listen to a book on the subject. As much as I enjoy Cal Newport’s Deep Questions podcast, his advice is succinctly covered in his most recent book A World without Email.
Once I got into the habit, Libby has become the primary app on my phone. If I want to sit and read, open Libby. If I need to do chores, open Libby. If I feel like scrolling mindlessly and shopping, open Libby.
I’ve recommended this app to several friends and its icon is now in the main home screen bar at the bottom of my iPhone. Hard to give it higher praise than that.
I still use Libby all the time, but I’ve started using an ebook reader as well. To be precise, I’m stealing time on my daughter’s ebook reader. I’ve slipped a couple of my books on her Kobo Clara, and I’ll read them right before my own bedtime. With a lightly backlit screen, I can read in the dark and seamlessly slide into slumberland.