ingenia hominum rem publicam fecit
Pliny the Elder on Literary patron Gaius Asinius Pollio
(He made men’s talents a public possession)
Libraries are meant for sharing public knowledge, and Libby is an app that facilitates access to digitalized libraries across Android and Apple devices. I love listening to stories – my parents always played radio-theatre shows on roadtrips – and audiobooks are my go-to contemporary version of enjoying a moment with a good storyteller. Here in Montreal, Libby gives me at-home access to the public library and the province-wide Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), and these two resources provide lots of reading and listening enjoyment. It is possible to procure access to a library in another city, but you need to pay for the non-resident card.
The educational alternatives to Libby are Sora for K-12 and OverDrive Professional for academic libraries. I haven’t used these, but they provide a means for educators to remotely share materials. From what I could see on the site, the K-12 teacher can use this for giving literacy assignments while student reading activities are tracked and rewarded.
Here’s some more information about the app: Libby App Review
Happy reading (and listening!)
Hi Evelyn, I love this example! I have used Libby a tremendous amount since the start of COVID, I love having free audiobooks right at my fingertips. Furthermore the ability to download them and go on long walks or drives has been incredibly convenient. I absolutely agree that libraries are for sharing knowledge, and I truly that education is a right and not a privilege. Therefore, I love any app that makes itself available to everyone and can provide everyone with all of their library resources in the palm of their hand.
Libby has been a life saver during the pandemic. As a regular visitor to my local library, I didn’t know what I was going to do when everything started shutting down. Libby has made accessing books easy, and has introduced me to the world of audiobooks which has been a wonderful experience. Libby was one of those mobile technologies that provided a great alternative to the real thing. Even though I would still love to have the feeling of a book in my hand, I am more than happy with the experience that Libby provides!
I must also admit that I still prefer the feel, the smell, and the engagement of a real book, but I appreciate the accessibility of e-books through these great Apps, such Libby, Tumblebooks(https://www.tumblebooklibrary.com/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f), etc. especially during this unprecedented time.
I love Libby! It has been great for personal and academic reading and is something that I have shared and recommended with all my friends and family. Now they are all hooked on using it!