Access Libby Outside the US for Non-Residents — Paid US Library Cards for Philippine Residents

This post is not sponsored. Updated 15 Nov 2024.

This year I decided to pick up reading consistently again. Like many other bookworms, I also was an avid reader when I was younger and had more time on my hands. But we grow up — jobs, chores, and social media eat up our adult time, we have to actively choose to allocate for what we choose to spend our free time on.

Physical books and discovering audiobooks

I moved countries recently and had to limit what I could bring along with me. What little physical books I had could not come with me for how much they weigh. We are also currently in a 1LDK and space is limited. I still want to eventually get a bookshelf and fill it with books though.

Late 2022/early 2023 I got into listening to audio drama podcasts while going on walks and while trying to learn crochet. I eventually looked into audiobooks for the same experience but with, you know, books.

First I discovered libro.fm, they support independent bookstores all over the world. You can even choose which bookstore you want to support when you sign up for their membership (USD14.99/month). You can also purchase or gift book credits to buy audiobooks outside a subscription. It was a little steep for my Philippine Peso salary, so I continued looking for alternatives.

Libro.fm is still a great alternative to Audible, I still get titles I want to own from them (especially more popular ones which have a long waitlist in the library).

Of course I can still sail and search the high seas, but I really wanted to support authors in more legitimate (pocket-friendly) ways. This is also a good way to support libraries!

Libby Access for Non-US Residents

I have heard of Libby over the years but have not been able to make use of it because of the lack of libraries in my home country (the Philippines) that supported it. Most of the libraries are US-based, and while most of these offer access with a free library card, you must be a resident of the state the library is in.

Thankfully, there are other people who made lists of available libraries in Libby and if they grant library cards to out-of-state residents. (Janssen from Everyday Reading, Grace from Ninth Street Books) I still had to go through the lists and figure out which library would actually offer me a library card even if I didn't have a US address in their specific state. I also first looked through their online catalogs to see if they have the books I'm interested in.

Eventually, I landed on two libraries: Queens Public Library and Monroe County Library System.

Queens Public Library

Cost: USD50/year | Loan duration per book: 14 Days

After filling up the form, a transaction receipt as well as your new library card information (account number and PIN) will be sent to you in separate emails. Use your account information to access the library through Libby.

QPL — One year update

The library send me an email reminder a month before my card was about to expire, with detailed instructions on how to renew and pay. I just followed their directions and I was able to renew my library card no problem.

Monroe County Library System

Cost: USD25/year | Loan duration per book: 21 Days

I chose Rochester Public Library in the dropdown and eventually led me to this page to sign up. Just fill up the form and pay with a credit card (Visa/Mastercard/Discover). A transaction receipt will be sent to the email you registered with and within two business days, a separate email will be sent with your new library card information. They will request to confirm that you were able to receive the information, and I just replied that I did and was able to access the library through Libby.

I can't remember why I chose Rochester, I think it might be because of Jenna Marbles.

MCLS — One year update

They also sent me an email reminder a month before my card expiration, also with details on how to renew, but I had a problem paying the fee with my credit card. I just reached out to the library through the contact form through their website and they got back to me. I was having an address mismatch that we couldn't figure out why it was happening because I never have had trouble using my Philippine-based cards online before.

The library graciously extended my membership one month so we could figure out the problem. They eventually fixed whatever was going on and was able to charge my card and renew my library membership.

That's it. I'm so glad resources like this exist. I'm 19/20 for my 2024 Reading Challenge. Maybe a mini book review blog post for the books? Let's see.