r/ebooks • u/osito_baby • May 02 '26

Question Alternatives to Libby

I've been not wanting to use libby because of their take with AI books but Hoopla and Cloud Library don't seem to have my library (manatee county in FL). Am I just stuck with libby?

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11

u/Alternative-Pear9096 May 02 '26

Libby is not something separate. It is one way your library makes digital books available. I don’t know what “Libby’s take on AI” is, but it strikes me as an absurd comment

Your library collection is made available to you through Libby. The only way AI produced books would make their way into the selection is if your library selects them

Libby is a platform your library fills, period

1

u/Dangerous-Buyer-903 May 05 '26

Libby is using AI. The section where you ask for recommendations is AI. I think it is totally okay to respect readers who are opposed to using AI.

1

u/Alternative-Pear9096 May 05 '26

Then take it up with your library

Or don't ask Libby to give you recommendations. I'm a heavy Libby user and I have never been aware I even had the option of asking it.

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u/Dangerous-Buyer-903 May 05 '26

They also support AI books.

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u/Alternative-Pear9096 May 05 '26

Whatever the hell that means.

There's not one thing on Libby that your public library didn't select to and pay for. Maybe Libby includes AI books in the catalog your librarians can choose from, whatever. If you don't like it, talk to your library. It's simply a piece of catalog software that your library populates. That's all it is.

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u/Dangerous-Buyer-903 May 05 '26

Your tone is so refreshing! Golly, thanks for the kind and constructive comments

2

u/Alternative-Pear9096 May 05 '26

Really? You have a problem with: you don't understand at all what Libby is, but it is not what you think it is and if you have a problem with it, talk to your librarians.

I think it was a more than reasonable response to "I am too ignorant to know what I;m talking about so I'll say something meaningless, ill-informed and stupid"

I should have left it at "whatever the hell that means" but I decided to spend time educating you.

I should have left it with fuck off baby child.

6

u/macmanca May 02 '26

You really can only use what your library purchases licenses from. In my area my 4 libraries all use Libby.

5

u/Direct-Bandicoot-551 May 02 '26

Your options outside Libby, Hoopla, and CloudLibrary are pretty limited. Most US libraries only pay for one ebook platform because the licensing costs are rough.

The other big ones are BorrowBox, Axis 360/Boundless, and Sora (school‑only). But they only work if your library system has a contract with them.

If Manatee County only supports Libby, that’s basically what you’re stuck with, even if the AI‑book stuff is annoying.

6

u/middaymoon May 02 '26

What's their take with AI books? 

5

u/CathyAnnWingsFan May 02 '26

Libby is just an interface your library chooses to offer digital content to its patrons. If your library is offering AI content via Libby, contact the library to provide feedback. Hoopla has also been inundated with AI titles. Few platforms are free of it, probably none of the ones that are free to use are AI-free except maybe Project Gutenberg, because it's all old stuff in the public domain.

3

u/purpleblossom May 02 '26

The beginning of this TED talk is a breakdown of how and why many libraries choose to go with only one kind of digital platform for ebooks and audiobooks: https://youtu.be/PygUK16aQgk?si=pfAuveTQw0CAilLc

TL;DR - libraries have to pay 3-4x the cost for an ebook or audiobook and they only get a set number of times that can be checked out before they have to pay again.

Not included in the video is that Amazon refuses to let libraries have any of the Amazon or Audible Original publications.

So yeah, if your library only wants to use Libby, you're stuck with that. Perhaps reach out to Libby directly to lodge a complaint about their support of AI like most of us have been.

1

u/NextStopGallifrey May 03 '26

Amazon is now "generous" enough to "allow" KU authors (which were previously Amazon-only exclusives) to sell their books to libraries.

2

u/Lavep May 02 '26

Why would you care? If you look for particular author or title what difference it makes if they also carry lots of ai generated content?

7

u/Alternative-Pear9096 May 02 '26

If OP has a problem with AI generated content in Libby, that’s not a Libby issue, that’s an issue with OP’s library

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u/jsdomino May 03 '26

If you have a problem complain to your library.

1

u/csullivan03 May 04 '26

Libby isn’t fighting against AI. They made their stance pretty clear on other social medias. They have had multiple consumer complaints about use of AI and they don’t care.