Image provided by Warsaw Community Public Library.

By Erica Bennington
Adult Services
Warsaw Community Public Library

WARSAW — Prior to 2020, I would say that I only read physical books. I love the feel and smell of physical books, so I could never see the use of reading eBooks. Then, 2020 happened, and our library shut down for seven weeks. During that time, I had to start reading eBooks, and I kind of fell in love with them. Don’t get me wrong — I still want to hold a physical book, and the old book smell is the best smell ever, but eBooks are so convenient.

At Warsaw Community Public Library, we offer eBooks through two services, Libby and Hoopla. Both services allow you to check out books anytime and anywhere. When you finish a book at 11 p.m. and don’t want to get out of bed, stay cozy and check out an eBook. If you forget to return your library books, no worries; the apps will do it for you.

If you aren’t currently using Libby or Hoopla, you should download their apps right now. All you need is your library card number and your four-digit library personal identification number for Hoopla.

Libby has a large library catalog, and through Libby, we are part of a consortium with almost every public library in the state of Indiana. This means that thousands and thousands of titles are available for you to read or listen to. You can check out 10 books at a time, and if someone has a book checked out, you can go on hold for the title. The app will even tell you when your hold is ready.

Hoopla is similar, but Hoopla has no holds. There are fewer titles on Hoopla than Libby, but you never have to wait for a book to be ready; you can download it immediately. For Hoopla, you can download 25 items in a calendar month, so you can download 25 titles on March 31 and then 25 more on April 1.

From either app, you can read directly on an e-reader, phone or computer. Both services also offer more than just books, including movies, television shows and magazines. If you aren’t using these apps, you are seriously missing out. There is a giant digital library waiting for you to use. If you need help, the Warsaw Community Public Library staff would love to assist you.