CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Public library wants to make it easier for patrons to access digital and audiobooks as they continue to grow in popularity.
Head of Reference Elizabeth Frazier said their newly unveiled app, Libby, will not only make it easier for people to check out e-books, but also expand their selection
“They have been asking people questions for over a year while developing this application,” Frazier said. “Sometimes an app is the new and improved version or updated, but this is a totally new product. They did user studies and things like that and now it has launched.”
The app, called Libby, allows anyone with a Kanawha County Public Library card to check out e-books or audiobooks and read or stream them on any smart device.
Frazier said the new application has only helped the library reach a new market since its launch.
“If anything it has brought new users to the library,” Frazier said. “There are some people who live their lives on the go, like people who listen to audiobooks at work. Now they can go to the library from their desk and pick a book.”
While it seemed libraries were becoming a thing of the past, Frazier credits all the libraries in West Virginia for working together to meet the demand for a new medium.
“We got into downloadable e-books and audiobooks pretty early,” Frazier said. “One of the things that was really smart on the part of our libraries and others is that we went together as a consortium. West Virginia isn’t a big state, the libraries aren’t well funded, but if you get a group of us together pretty soon you have an impressive collection.”
The app is available for download on GooglePlay or the iTunes Store.