A – I liked RBdigital Magazines. Do I have to change?
Q – Yes, eventually. You can use the RBdigital app until it is phased out on March 31. After that you must use Libby/Overdrive. RBdigital was purchased by Overdrive, just as Zinio was purchased by RBdigital. Such are the vagaries of corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Q – Are the magazines available to everyone?
A – Yes.
A – Why do you keep saying Libby/Overdrive? It’s confusing.
Q – Yes it is confusing. Libby and Overdrive are two different apps that give the same access to the eBooks, the eAudiobooks and now the magazines provided by the company, Overdrive. The content is identical, but the two apps work slightly differently.
Q – So which one should I use? Libby or the Overdrive app?
A – We recommend Libby but if you already use Overdrive and are comfortable with it, there is no compelling reason to change. The major difference is Libby allows “Read the Article” where you can choose to read only a single article on a page and not the entire page of the magazine at once. This is particularly useful if you are reading on a smaller tablet or a smartphone. Libby also seems to work a little better if you switch devices a lot, e.g. you read a book on your tablet at home and then read a bit on your phone while waiting in line at the store. In addition, you can only download a magazine to read offline on Libby.
Q – I only have a computer. I don’t have a tablet and my kids laugh at me when I take out my trusty flip phone. How can I use the Libby app?
A – Use your computer’s web browser to go to https://libbyapp.com/. It works just like the Libby app you’d find on a tablet or a smart phone.
Q – So how do I get a magazine?
A – After you’ve logged in using your card number and PIN, search for the magazine just like you would a book. Type the magazine’s name into the search box next to the magnifying glass at the top and click (or tap) on the magnifying glass. “Check it out” like you would a book and you’re done. Don’t worry, even though you are “checking it out,” it won’t count towards your 10 checkout limit.
Q – I’m not looking for a particular magazine. I just want to see what’s available.
A – You can click (or touch) Libby’s search box to get it to display “More Options.” Then select Magazines from the format dropdown menu (See the screenshot below. That will display all 3000 plus magazines.
Searching for magazines in steps. Click for a larger image.
Q – Over 3000 magazines! I just want cooking magazines.
A – Not a problem. Once you’ve gotten Libby to show you all the magazines, you can limit what it displays by genre, in this case Food & Wine, by clicking on “more” to display a scrollable list of the genres. You may then have to refine your results further. Here’s a screenshot:
How to sort your magazines. Click on it for a larger image.
Here’s what you get when you use the genre “Food & Wine” and then refine it by sorting by popularity:
Battle of the titans! Vegan Food & Living battles Cooking with Paula Dean for most popular.
Q – This seems a little daunting. Can I get a real person to help me?
A – Absolutely. Call 914-834-2281 x. 3, Monday – Saturday 9 to 5 (Thursday till 8), or email larchmontlibrary@wlsmail.org. A librarian will be glad to help you.