How To Get Free E-Books And Audiobooks All Year Long

If you’re one of those people who intends to read more books but just never gets around to buying them, then we’ve got a simple solution.

You can get free e-books and audiobooks all year round, and you’ll be surprised at how simple the process is.

Step One: Sign Up To Your Local Library

Yep, your local council library. You can usually sign up on their website, and during normal times you can go in and sign up in person. Please note that because of COVID-19 physical libraries are closed, but some are still accepting digital memberships on their websites. As you are going to learn, libraries make their e-book and audiobook collections available for anyone to download! If you're already a member, you can skip this step.

Step Two: Follow Your Library’s Instructions To Register Online

You’ll need to make sure you are registered online with your library, so follow the instructions they provide to do that. Note that it can take a little while for some libraries to send your details – you may need to wait for them to mail you a physical card.

Step Three: Download Overdrive Or BorrowBox

Depending on which of these two apps your library uses, you’ll need to download them of them to your tablet or smartphone. You can find out from your library's website which app they prefer. Note that there is a new version of Overdrive called Libby, but both still work.

Step Four: Log In Using Your Library’s Details

Once you’ve got Overdrive or BorrowBox installed, find your library on the app and then log in using the details you registered earlier.

Step Five: Search For The Books You Want

You can search through your library’s catalogue for e-books and audiobooks. The books they have available will depend on your individual library.

Step Six: Reserve And Borrow The Books You Want

Time to start borrowing and downloading e-books and audiobooks! Because this is a library, the books you want might already be loaned out to someone else. This is particularly true for bestsellers or other popular books. Not a problem! You can place a hold on the books, and once they are available you’ll be emailed so you can download them.

Step Seven: Read And Listen All Year Long

There are no fees. Ever. Because as you’ll remember from your childhood, libraries are free! And the books will automatically expire when you reach the end of your loan, so there are no late fees.

Happy reading and listening!

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