Overdrive has been the most abundant and most used source of digital content for JCLS for many years now. Over the last few years, we have made a point to gently guide patrons away from the Overdrive app and toward Libby, which we believe to be both the more user-friendly of the two, as well as the future of Overdrive.
For those who need a refresher, Libby is an app designed by Overdrive that can be used on devices running either iOS or Android and can also be used through your computer’s browser at libbyapp.com. Though it is a different app, Libby can be used to access all of the same content as Overdrive. Because of this, we suspected that one day Overdrive would phase out the Overdrive app in favor of Libby. Recently, Overdrive announced that they will be doing just that. As of February 23rd 2022, the Overdrive app will be removed from all app stores. This means that no new downloads of Overdrive will be possible after that date. The good news is that, if you already have Overdrive, you will still be able to use it until further notice. If you are new to our digital offerings, you will not be able to download the Overdrive app and will be directed to Libby when you search for it in your app store. You can also continue use Library2Go to access Overdrive content.
If you use the Overdrive desktop app to transfer audiobooks to an mp3 player, you will also still be able to use it. Similar to the mobile Overdrive app, new downloads of the desktop app will not be offered after February 23rd. In contrast to the mobile app, Overdrive will not offer another piece of software, like Libby, to perform the same function. Overdrive’s reasoning is that, as technology continues to favor mobile devices, the need to offer services for mp3 players will progressively diminish.
If you use a Kindle Fire to access Overdrive, there are currently no immediate plans to offer Libby through the Amazon Appstore. In light of this, Overdrive has decided to continue offering Overdrive through the Amazon Appstore until further notice.
As always, the Digital Services department at JCLS is at your disposal, should you need help with this transition.
You can find Overdrive’s official announcement here and an extensive FAQ on the transition here.