eBooks, Audiobooks & More

What's the Difference Between OverDrive, the Valley Digital Library, and Libby?

• OverDrive is the company that built the platform that the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library and many other libraries worldwide use to lend eBooks and audiobooks. OverDrive also distributes and sells the content (eBooks and audiobooks) to libraries to check out.
• The Valley Digital Library is the name that HMCPL gave to the OverDrive platform that we make available to HMCPL patrons. HMCPL is in a consortium group with the Florence-Lauderdale, Guntersville, and Oneonta Public Libraries. This is why you need to select your library when signing in. 
• Libby is the name of the app from OverDrive. You can use Libby on your phone or other device to access the Valley Digital Library, checkout titles, and read or listen to your checkouts. 
• Whether you are in OverDrive or Libby, both will connect to the Valley Digital Library collection.
• For this guide, we will use "Valley Digital Library" when referring to this resource. 

Click on the top video for an introduction to using OverDrive in your computer browser. Click on the bottom video for an introduction to using the Libby app. Whether you are in OverDrive or Libby, both will connect to the Valley Digital Library collection. 

Want to learn more about current terms for libraries from the Big 5 publishers? Readers First has the 2023 update.