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October 07, 2017

Improving the Washington Anytime Library Experience

Did you know Neill Public Library participates in the Washington Anytime Library to bring you e-books and e-audiobooks? The Washington Anytime Library is a consortium of 44 libraries across Washington working together to efficiently deliver electronic resources to library patrons in Washington’s small towns and rural areas.  Whitman County Library is a member, and the Moscow Public Library participates in their own consortium (Valnet).

There’s a new way to access e-books and e-audiobooks from the Washington Anytime Library- Libby. Libby is a new, streamlined app available for Android devices, iOS (iPhone and iPad), and Windows 10 users. All you have to do is install the app, find the Neill Public Library, and enter your library card number. Three simple steps and you are ready to check out e-books and e-audiobooks. Libby makes sure that you are always “one tap” away from the Neill Public Library.

The Washington Anytime Library collection continues to grow, with more than 28,000 e-books and 10,000+ e-audiobooks.  It is also a great resource for Spanish-language materials, with more than 1,000 Spanish-language titles. Many of the most popular items are checked out, but wait times are usually fairly short and there is always plenty of content to browse.

The new Libby app makes accessing all this content even easier. Once borrowed, titles download automatically to the app on wi-fi, and you no longer have to remember which format to use. The audiobook experience is even more seamless, and if you have library cards in multiple places, that works better too. As usual, all your titles automatically expire at the end of your checkout period- there’s no worrying about late fines and fees. Already using the Washington Anytime Library and happy with the current Overdrive app? There’s no need to change- it won’t go away anytime soon.

Unsurprisingly, the popularity of the Washington Anytime Library continues to increase. Neill Public Library users are on track to check out more than 50,000 e-books and e-audiobooks in 2017, at least a 20% increase over last year. We also continue to add new users at a fast clip. Moreover, the popularity of electronic materials hasn’t displaced our regular books and other library materials- checkouts of items within the library have increased 9% this year alone.


Check out the Washington Anytime Library and the new Libby app today! Download it from the app store on your device and start browsing for great e-books and e-audiobooks. Don’t have a device? All materials can also be accessed through an internet-connected computer and web browser. Have questions? Contact us (509.338.3254) or stop by the Neill Public Library. We’re always happy to help!

Dan Owens
Adult Services Librarian


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