Getting Started with OverDrive and Libby

OverDrive, and its accompanying reading app Libby, provides access to thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks. Explore our collection from anywhere using a computer or compatible device and borrow up to ten items at a time.

What you need

How to Access

OverDrive/Libby can be accessed from a computer via a web browser or through the apps for iOS or Android.

Start Using OverDrive/Libby on a computer

  1. Visit Libby in your web browser.
  2. Choose the “Sign in with my Card” option on the homepage.
  3. Search for and select Milton Public Library from the list of libraries.
  4. Enter your library card number with no spaces and your PIN (usually the last 4 digits of your phone number).
  5. Click “Sign on” to complete your login process.

Start using OverDrive/Libby on a smartphone or tablet

  1. Download the Libby app for iOS or Android.
  2. Search for Milton Public Library.
  3. Enter your library card number with no spaces and your PIN (usually the last 4 digits of your phone number).

Borrow from our Partner Libraries

You can now use your MPL card and PIN to access the digital shelves at Burlington, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Mississauga and Ottawa Public Libraries.

To access these collections from a computer:

  1. Go to MPL’s OverDrive page and click the Partner Libraries button at the top right.
  2. Select a Partner Library from the list.
  3. On the Sign In page, choose Milton Public Library from the drop-down menu and then sign in with your MPL card and PIN.
  4. Find a book you want and click Borrow or Place a Hold.

Please note: You will not see the titles you have borrowed from partner libraries in your OverDrive account on the computer; you will need to look at your account in the partner libraries’ system.

To access these collections on the Libby app:

  1. Open the Libby app and click the menu icon at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Add each library by selecting Your Libraries and following the prompts.
  3. Sign in as a Milton Public Library user with your library card.

Please note: Libby shows all your checkouts and holds, regardless of the owning library. However, each library prioritizes its own users for holds, so try to place holds on Milton Public Library materials when possible. Some titles may not be available due to lending models.

Privacy and Terms of Use

OverDrive is a third-party service with its own privacy policies and practices. We recommend reviewing OverDrive’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before choosing to use this service.

Help and Support

For further assistance, patrons can: 

Frequently Asked Questions

Patrons can borrow up to 10 items at a time with MPL. Partner libraries will have their own unique borrowing limits.  

Patrons can place 15 holds at a time with MPL. Every partner library has its own unique holds limits.  

It’s important to note that each library prioritizes its own patrons holds over visiting members. For example, if an MPL patron places a hold on a title held by Ottawa Public Library, all hold requests placed by Ottawa users will be fulfilled before the MPL can access the title, regardless of whether these holds were placed after the MPL user. We recommend using the MPL’s collection first to check for titles and visit our partner libraries if there is a title you can’t find. 

Patrons can also submit a Purchase Suggestion through the Libby app if you think it’s a title MPL should consider purchasing.  

The default lending period for eBooks and eAudiobooks is 21 days. You can change your loan period for each title when you borrow or renew it. To change the loan period in the Libby app, click on the button that says, “Borrowing for …” and choose from 7, 14, or 21 days. Learn more about this process in this article.  

Suspending your hold allows you to stay in the queue for a title, but you can pause your hold until you’re ready to check it out. You will continue to move up the holds list while your hold is suspended. Holds that are suspended for more than a year will be cancelled. 

To suspend a hold in Libby, go to your Shelf, tap Holds, select Manage Hold, and then click Suspend Hold. You can read step-by-step instructions on the Libby Support site.

 

Tags are a way to create organized lists and save titles for future reference in Libby. There is no limit on how many tags you can create or how many titles you can save. To save a title to a tag, open the details page on a title and tap the Save button. You can choose which list to add the title to or create new tagged lists. To learn more read this article.  

A popular tag is the Notify Me tag, and this can be used to tag titles that you would like MPL to consider purchasing. These tags directly go to the Collections Librarian to review. 

All titles are automatically returned at the end of the borrowing due date. If you wish to return a title early, navigate to your “Shelf” (this is the book icon in the Libby menu) and select “Loans.” Tap Manage Loan next to the title you want to return and select Return Early and Return Loan.

Items eligible for renewable will see a Renew Loan option appear on the title (3) days before the due date. If a copy has holds on it the Renew Loan option will not be visble and you will instead see the Place Hold option. Patrons can place a new hold to re-borrow it, and the current borrowin+g period will not be affected.

Kobo eReaders have built-in OverDrive integration, and patrons can directly log into their OverDrive account on their Kobo to download and read eBooks.
For more information, visit the OverDrive Kobo support page.

To read eBooks on your Kobo eReader, follow these steps:

  1. Connect to Wi-Fi on your Kobo eReader.
  2. On the Home screen, tap the More icon in the menu at the bottom (☰), then select Settings.
  3. Tap Settings > OverDrive > Get Started.
  4. In the search bar, type in Milton Public Library and sign in using your library card number and PIN.

You may be blocked from logging into OverDrive/Libby if the following has occurred:

  • There is a block placed on your library card
  • Your library card has expired
  • Your library card was reported lost or stolen
  • You are inputting your library card number incorrectly or have forgotten your PIN