E-Books for Apple iOS

< Back to Help with E-Books & E-Audiobooks

SimplyE (iOS 11.0 and up)

You will need iOS 11.0 or later on your device. 

Get started with SimplyE for Apple iOS>>

  1. Download and install SimplyE from the Apple App Store.
  2. Tap Accept to agree to the terms of Service
  3. Browse the catalog or search to find a book available to borrow.
  4. Open and Read E-Books in SimplyE

OverDrive's Libby app (iOS 10.0 and up)

You can use OverDrive's Libby app to borrow e-books and audiobooks for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch (the titles in Libby are also available in SimplyE). You will need your NYPL library card number, PIN/password, and an e-mail address.

Getting started with Libby>>

Setting up OverDrive's Libby on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch

  1. Go to the Apple App Store and install the Libby app.
  2. In Libby, follow the prompts to find the New York Public Library, and sign in with your card number and PIN/password. (You can add other libraries that you go to, like Brooklyn Public Library or Queens Library!)
  3. You can manage your notification preferences for the app under Settings > Manage Notifications. You can choose to receive pop-up notifications on your device or email notifications when a book you requested becomes available or when one of your loans is expiring.

Checking out e-books

  1. Search for a title, author, subject, or keyword, or you can browse titles by subject.
  2.  If the book you want is available, tap Borrow to check out the book for three weeks. If all copies of the book are in use, you can tap Place Hold to request the book.
  3. Borrowed titles appear on your Shelf under Loans and download to the app automatically when you're connected to Wi-Fi, so you can read them when you're offline. Titles you place on hold appear on your Shelf under Holds.

Reading e-books


On your Shelf, tap Loans at the top of the screen. From there, you can:

  • Tap Read With... to choose where you'd like to read the book (Kindle or Libby), then finish sending to Kindle or start reading in Libby.
  • Tap "Open In Libby" or "Open Audiobook" to start reading or listening in the app.
  • Once you open a book, tap in the center of the screen to access bookmarks and the e-book formatting options, such as font size. For audiobooks, the player controls and options will be on the screen. The link to the table of contents is available at the bottom of the screen in the footer.
  • To close a book tap in the center of the screen and then tap <Back in the upper left corner of the screen.

Returning and Renewing E-books


From your Shelf > Loans tap Manage Loan for a title to to see options like Renew and Return. The loan period for e-books and audiobooks is 21 days, after which they automatically expire. 

  • Tap Return Early under Manage Loan to return a book if you are finished with it before the loan period ends.
  • If there are no holds on the title, a Renew button will appear under Manage Loan 72 hours before your loan expires.

    cloudLibrary (iOS 11.4 and up)

    You can also install the cloudLibrary app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. (All cloudLibrary titles are also available in SimplyE.)

    Getting Started

    1. Go to the Apple App Store and install the cloudLibrary app.
    2. Tap anywhere on the Welcome screen then select your country, state, and library and tap Next. 
    3. Tap Accept to agree to the End User License Agreement, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
    4. Enter your library card number and PIN/password and tap Login.
    5. You can set up email notifications for holds if you wish under Account > Notifications. Turn on Email Notifications and enter your email address. You will receive a verification email message from cloudLibrary. Click on the link in the email to confirm your email address.

    Borrowing E-books

    1. You can browse books by category or search for books by title, author, or subject. If a title is available to check out you will see a Borrow button next to the book. If the item is not currently available, you will see a Hold button.
    2. Tap the Borrow button to borrow the book. If you see the Hold button, tap it to place a hold on the title if you wish.

    Reading E-books

    • Titles you are currently reading are displayed on the Homepage of the app. Tap the Read button to continue reading a book.
    • Titles you have borrowed are listed under My Books > Current. Tap Read to open a book. Tap the center of the page to open the menu bar with formatting options for the e-book.
    • To close a book and return to My Books, tap the center of the reading screen, then tap the X in the top left corner of the screen..
    • Go to My Books > Holds to see books you have requested with expected availability dates.

    Returning  and Renewing cloudLibrary E-books


    From My Books > Current, you can also return books early and renew eligible titles. The loan period for e-books and audiobooks is 21 days, after which they automatically expire. 

    • If there is no Return button displayed next to a book on the My Books > Current page, tap the … next to the Read button to find the Return option under Book Actions if you wish to return a book before the loan period ends.
    • If there are no holds on the title, a Renew option should appear under Book Actions (tap the … next to the Read button) 72 hours before your loan expires. 

    Borrow e-books through the NYPL Catalog

    You can also search for and borrow e-books and e-audiobooks through the library catalog. Results for a title in the catalog include books, e-books, and other formats in one display.

    You can borrow and place holds through the eBook and eAudiobook tabs for a book when these appear in the record. If a title is available to borrow, click Get to check out the book. If all copies of a title are in use, click Request to place a hold. If you have not already logged into the catalog, you will be prompted to enter your library card number or username and PIN/password first.

    You will see your e-book and e-audiobook checkouts and holds listed on the Checkouts and Requests pages under My Bookshelf in your account. You can read or listen to the books you borrow in the SimplyE app or in the app from the vendor–Libby for books from OverDrive and cloudLibrary for books from cloudLibrary.

    Still need help? Find an e-book class at your local library.