Libby Release Notes

Hi readers! It’s hard to believe another year is already in the books. This was a huge year, so let’s jump right into what was new in the Libby app in 2025.

1. Hold changes

2025 brought a big change to how hold suspensions work. When you suspend a hold, it used to be that you’d select a date for the hold suspension to automatically end. Now, you manually unsuspend the hold when you’re ready for it.

I really like this change. I always felt like the end date I was scheduling was a wild guess. I like that the new system removes that guess work. It also reduces the time books waste in limbo waiting for people to borrow their automatically unsuspended holds. This change gets people their hold faster and prioritizes people who are really looking for the book, which both sound good to me.

RELATED READ: Everything you need to know about holds in the Libby app

2. New filters

A less drastic but very nice change is the addition of some handy filters. This year saw the addition of filters for: the first title in a series, standalone titles, audiobook duration, and when your library added the book to Libby.

I particularly like how well these filters work in combination. For example, “first in series” works nicely with “available now” when you’re looking for something new to read.

RELATED READ: New in Libby: Filter updates for audiobooks & series lovers

3. Content controls

Content controls serve multiple purposes in Libby. “Libby for Kids” hides everything that isn’t juvenile or young adult content and can be further refined. You can also lock content control settings with a passkey (including one on another device) to make these settings more secure.

A less well-known use for content controls is customizing your browsing experience. “Libby for Everyone” doesn’t hide anything by default, but you can hide mature content if that’s not something you’re interested in. You can also use “Libby for Grown-ups” to hide kid’s titles and streamline your browsing and searching in Libby.

Content controls work like app-wide filters that you can use to customize your experience. If you haven’t tried them yet, they’re worth experimenting with.

4. Inspire Me

Inspire Me is a new, AI-powered way to find books at your library.

Here’s how it works:

You pick fiction or nonfiction and an audience—adults, teens, or kids. Next, you pick an open-ended characteristic like “cozy” or “intergalactic.” Then Libby will generate specific inspirations; a recent inspiration I got was “magical worlds where time loops back.” Pick an inspiration and Libby will show you five books from your library that match that inspiration. You’re free to jump around and look at the books from the other inspirations too.

Alternatively, you can use Inspire Me with a tag. For this method, select one of your tags with at least 20 titles saved to it, and Libby will generate recommendations based on that tag. After using Inspire Me with a tag, you need to wait 24 hours before using it again with a different tag. That 24-hour cooldown is only for the tags method, you can use the other mode as much as you like.

A neat thing about Inspire Me is it focuses on books that are available right now at your library. In other words, Inspire Me goes beyond standard book recommendations by helping you find new books and writers that you may never have otherwise encountered.

RELATED READ: Need a new read? Inspire Me in Libby can help you find your next favorite book.

5. An extra hour

Did you know that if you're actively reading a loan when it expires, you can request an extra hour to finish it—even if someone is waiting for it? The reader or audiobook player needs to be active and visible for this offer to be made, but this feature can be an absolute lifesaver and is worth keeping in mind. This might be my personal favorite update of 2025.

Wrapping up

Whew, what a year! 2025 was packed with Libby updates, but next year looks to be equally exciting. Happy New Year readers; see you in 2026!

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When that perfect reading moment strikes, you need a book you can read right away. That’s where ✨Inspire Me✨ comes in!

Inspire Me is a fun, new way to discover your next read. Joining the other discovery features you know and love, this new AI-powered feature delivers smart recommendations based on your library’s unique collection. Just answer a set of quick prompts in the app and Libby searches through your library’s digital collection to find and match you with unique titles that fit your current mood and reading preferences. It’s an interactive way to browse and instantly discover a new book you can start reading right away!

This optional feature should be available to all users soon. If it’s not yet available to you, all you have to do is search for #InspireMe in Libby.

How does Inspire Me work?

1. Pick and choose from fiction or nonfiction, or your own tags* in Libby to get started. From there, choose your age range: adults, teens, or kids.

Once you narrow down with the initial selection, you’ll be provided with more whimsical and fun prompts to choose from like “twisty 🌪️,” “heartfelt 🫶,” “athletic 🏆,” and more!

1. You’ll then be presented with a few fun "inspirations" that describe possible books in 6-7 words. For example:

• Birds that carry messages between worlds in scenic adult fiction
• Hungry travelers hunt authentic street food in delicious adult nonfiction
• Murder confessions that might be completely fabricated in twisty teen fiction

1. Once you choose your inspiration, you’ll get matched with five ebooks or audiobooks with those same vibes you can borrow instantly!

*Discover new titles based on your personal tags

Libby can also make suggestions based on the books you’ve tagged in the app. Just make sure you have at least 20 saved titles in order for Libby to give you recommendations. You can generate recommendations on your tags once per day (general inspirations are not limited). And as always, none of your personal information is saved or shared—just the titles in your tagged list.

Yet another great reason to create tags in Libby to save the books that look interesting—to then get matched with more books! (A growing TBR list is never a problem. 😉)

How to get started with Inspire Me

Just tap the Libby menu icon to get started!

Support your library & find great books (win-win!)

Not only does Inspire Me allow you to explore tailored book recommendations, it also supports your local library by keeping their collection circulating. Your library likely has thousands and thousands of titles to borrow with sometimes only a small percentage of the collection—those big bestsellers—getting all the attention and holds.

By connecting you with books beyond the bestseller list, your library can circulate more books, reduce waitlist congestion, and support more readers in your community. Your checkouts show demand, helping libraries secure funding, expand collections, and provide the books people want. So go ahead—borrow that book and keep your library thriving!

When can I start using Inspire Me?

The optional feature is now rolling out to all users. Just open Libby, tap the menu icon, and prepare to be inspired!

Don’t have Inspire Me yet? To get started, all you have to do is search for #InspireMe in Libby.

Inspire Me is another tool to complement your book discovery. To discover even more great books, we encourage you to ask your local librarian and subscribe to Libby Life for a weekly email with recommended reads and Libby app tips!

*Inspire Me is responsibly powered by AI. To reduce environmental impact, AI suggestions are shared and reused across users. Its impact is similar to other Libby features like syncing tags or submitting a support request.

RELATED READ: Search like a pro: Expert tips for finding your next read in the Libby app

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