The "Secret" to Reading for Free

How to access free books, ebooks, audiobooks, and more from your local library

Jan 19, 2025

There are few things that bring me more joy than library book day. I love getting a notification that my book holds are ready so I can swing by to pick them up or download them to my Kindle. I even included the library in my 2025 Ins and Outs.

I’ll admit, the library isn’t exactly a “secret,” but I’ve noticed many people I talk to forget that this resource exists and are shocked to find out they can borrow books to their Kindle for free. To spread the library love, this post is a PSA on a few things that are likely available to you through your local library (it will vary by location, of course).

Using the library often takes more patience than buying something to read immediately, but it’s worth it for the cost savings and sustainability of sharing resources. Once you get things queued up in your holds, you’ll almost never be without a book to enjoy.

Exhibit A of a real conversation I had with someone on Instagram recently. But this person isn’t alone—I’ve heard this level of surprise from many people!

Here are a few steps to start enjoying free reading from your library:

Get a Library Card

Step one to any library use is getting a library card. Google your local library to see if they have an online registration process. If not, call or head over to the library and ask the front desk for a card. They may need proof of address, so be sure to take your ID with you. This is a quick step that will unlock a world of resources.

Download the Library’s App

It’s likely that your library will have an app. It’s worth downloading the app and connecting your card to have access to view your account, place holds, renew books, etc.

Place Books on Hold

If there’s a book you want to read (or listen to), but it’s not available, you can put a hold on it. A hold will save your place in line and let you know when it’s your turn to read a book.

Typically, your app will let you look up a book and place a hold without needing to visit the library. If you don’t have an app, call or visit your library to place a hold. No one is friendlier than a librarian—they’d be happy to help you.

Read eBooks on your Phone or Kindle

This might be my favorite library discovery of the past several years. Through the Libby app, you can connect your library card (for participating libraries) to read ebooks and magazines or listen to audiobooks.

Once you download the Libby app, it will walk you through setting up your library card. After that, you can peruse their lists or search for a specific book you’d like to read. One great feature of Libby is the ability to push out a hold. For example, if a book is ready for me, but I’m not quite ready to read it yet, I can set it to deliver again in a set number of days that I specify.

If I am ready, I can borrow the ebook and read it on my phone or send it to my Kindle. The first time you send an ebook to your Kindle, it will prompt you to log into your Amazon account so it has access to deliver the ebook. Once you’ve logged in, you shouldn’t have to do that step again the next time.

Once you’ve borrowed a book, select Read with Kindle:

After signing into Amazon (you should only have to do this the first time), click Get Library Book.

From there, the ebook will be pushed to your Kindle for easy reading. Make sure your Kindle is connected to wifi so it can download the new book.

Time Limits and Fees

Keep in mind that there are time limits to read library books—generally 2-3 weeks depending on the book. However, you can always renew your loan to keep things longer if no one else is waiting in line (i.e. if no one else has a hold on it). eBooks will return automatically (when connected with wifi), but it’s on you to remember to return physical books. Many libraries have fees for late returns, so make sure you know your library’s policy.

Start Reading

I hope this has helped you understand how you can stop paying for endless subscriptions to things like Audible and Kindle Unlimited—get truly unlimited, free reading and listening from your library instead. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ALL for supporting authors and buying books when you want (ideally from your local bookstore), but remember that libraries support authors, too. If they don’t have the book you’re looking for, you can usually put in a request for the library to acquire the book. Those requests help libraries know what their patrons want to read—and they order more copies.

Let me know if you have questions about using the library or Libby, and I’ll do my best to answer. If you know someone else who would find this information useful, please send them the link. Happy reading and listening!