Penn Libraries News

Borrow Ebooks and Audiobooks through Libby and Overdrive

Penn students, faculty, and staff can now enjoy expanded access to popular ebooks and digital audiobooks on any device.

Person holds an e-reader with several book titles visible; a small table and mug are in the background

The Penn Libraries is expanding its ebook and audiobook collections while making them more accessible than ever before. Penn students, faculty, and staff can now browse, borrow, and read or listen to a large and growing collection of books using the Penn OverDrive homepage or by downloading the free Libby app to access OverDrive on their phones or tablets. 

“While the Penn Libraries remains committed to acquiring books in print, we’re also actively collecting a wider range of formats and expanding how our materials reach the Penn community. OverDrive represents a natural next step in these efforts,” says Mayelin Perez, Librarian for Literatures in English, Theatre Arts, & Comparative Literature. “We’re excited not only because we get to increase access to popular audiobook titles, but also because OverDrive and Libby deliver an intuitive reader experience that closely aligns with the ways literary and graphic works are read and enjoyed—something that not all e-reader platforms can replicate.”

Nearly 9,000 ebooks and audiobooks, including bestsellers and new releases, are available to the Penn community through this new service. This represents a major expansion of audiobooks, in response to popular demand from patrons, and also marks the first time web comics are available through the Penn Libraries. 

Library patrons can also find these titles — along with many additional ebooks, audiobooks, and print books — in the Franklin catalog

Getting Started 

To get started, download Libby or visit Penn’s OverDrive site and follow the prompts to log in using your PennKey. More detailed instructions are also available in our online guide. 

This service is compatible with all major computers and devices, including phones and tablets. Through Libby, readers can also “send to Kindle” [U.S. only]. All titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period and there are no late fees. Readers can also download titles onto Libby for offline use.   

Already using Overdrive or Libby to borrow from The Free Library of Philadelphia or another public library system? No problem! Both services allow you to link as many participating libraries as you have access to.

Please note that Overdrive access is restricted to current Penn students, faculty, and staff. Affiliated employees with PennKey access to other Penn Libraries electronic resources - from the University of Pennsylvania Health System (HUP, Pennsylvania, and Presbyterian Hospitals) and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia - are also eligible to create accounts. Alumni are not eligible to access this resource due to licensing terms. For more information, visit the Penn Libraries’ guide to accessing electronic resources