Malaysia’s National Library Has Joined Libby!

By: Tia Sofia M.Zul

Have you ever wondered what the National Library of Malaysia has to offer but have had no time to visit? Look no further because Libby is here! The National Library of Malaysia is officially working together with the Libby app to provide over 20,000 eBooks, magazines, and audiobooks right at your fingertips for free!

Libby is a free library reading app where you can access your library’s catalogue on your mobile devices as long as they work together with Libby. All you need to do is get a library card, log into the app, and you can borrow any title the library carries.

For Malaysians, getting a library card is as easy as going to the U-Library website and registering for a membership. You will then receive a confirmation email to activate your account, and after clicking on the activation link, you officially have a library card!

But why should Malaysians use the Libby app?

First, it is convenient! The library used to be a pastime of the people, whether for self-enjoyment or academic purposes. With busy schedules and roads, it’s making it harder for people to go to their local libraries, much less the national library if they live in states outside of KL. By using the Libby app, it makes browsing the catalogues much easier as there is also a helpful filtering system to find just the book you need, whether it be an English fiction graphic novel or a Malay Young Adult book.

Libby can also be used across almost all mobile devices, saving all your bookmarks, loans, and notes and helping you read the way you want on your phone or tablet.

Using Libby also shows your support for national resources. When you use your library card and borrow books from the library, it shows people do utilise and value national resources made available to the public. With continued support for our national library, the opportunity to expand our catalogues with a broader range of written material will continually come up as more people show interest. This means more fiction you love, more non-fiction we need and more magazines you may have missed.

Last but certainly not least, being Malaysian means loving great deals, especially when the deal is 100% off, and you’ll be relieved to know that Libby is 100% free to use. There are no hidden fees, including late fees and memberships, meaning that once your borrowing period is up, you will not be penalised with a late fee. Instead, the book you’re borrowing will be passed onto a person who has put the book on hold, ensuring that everyone gets a fair chance with no delay.

Books are a powerful tool of knowledge that allows us to keep thinking about the world, and reading helps us obtain that wisdom, which is why our access to it is incredibly important.

Whether you’re a curious bookworm or just looking for a chance to reignite your love for reading, consider getting yourself a library card from the National Library of Malaysia and log into Libby to explore the selections of Malaysian librarians.

Libby is available for download on the App Store and on Google Play.