Libby vs Scribd

2024. Macmillan Audiobooks are now available on Cost-Per-Circ



Overdrive has announced a partnership with Macmillan, joining their Cost-Per-Circ program for libraries, which offers a fresh approach to accessing audiobooks. This initiative presents a boon for libraries, enabling the addition of all Macmillan audiobooks to their collections with payment only when a reader borrows a title. These audiobook copies can coexist with other editions like One Copy/One User or Metered Access versions of the same title, enhancing flexibility and increasing reading opportunities for patrons. Noteworthy titles from Macmillan's audio catalog include "Apples Never Fall" by Liane Moriarty, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" by Matthew Perry, "Maame" by Jessica George, Kristin Hannah's "The Four Winds," and more.


2024. Scribd rebrands as Everand



Scribd, the platform known for file-sharing, e-books, and audiobooks, has undergone a significant transformation, now operating under the name Everand. Previously, users had access to three distinct entities - Everand, Scribd, and SlideShare - each confined to their respective domains. However, with the rebranding, all services now fall under the Everand umbrella. Despite the change, the company assures users that from their perspective, everything remains unchanged. Login credentials and billing information used for Scribd are still valid for Everand, ensuring a seamless transition. Users can continue to access the platform as usual, with all content consolidated under a single identity.


2024. Overdrive Libby is improved for reading digital magazines



Libby has undergone enhancements to capitalize on the proliferation of digital magazines accessible through library branches, introducing a dedicated Magazine Rack section within the Shelf summary. This distinct area showcases the latest editions of users' subscribed magazines and any other selected publications, streamlining the process of locating preferred magazines within the library's offerings. Additionally, users now have the convenience of subscribing to magazines directly from the library via a new Subscribe option on search results and title details pages. With each new issue's release, it automatically populates the user's Magazine Rack and initiates a checkout process for the library. Moreover, users can seamlessly access and commence reading magazines with a single tap, triggering a checkout. A variety of popular magazines affiliated with Overdrive, such as Time, Us Weekly, National Geographic, Good Housekeeping, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone, are readily available across most libraries, complemented by offerings like PC World, Bon Appetit, Minecraft World, and Women’s Fitness.


2023. Overdrive Libby is making it easier to read magazines



Overdrive, the company powering the majority of public libraries across Canada, the United States, and a significant portion of Europe, is in the process of enhancing its app called Libby. As part of this update, they are introducing a larger selection of complimentary magazines. The uniqueness lies in the fact that these magazines can be accessed by an unlimited number of users simultaneously, and there are no restrictions on circulation. Consequently, libraries now have the opportunity to choose from a collection of over 4,000 current and past issues, eliminating the need for waiting lists. Noteworthy publications like The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and Elle will be accessible to users without any cost. Overdrive has emphasized that the updated Libby app will streamline the process of subscribing to magazines, offering users the convenience of receiving alerts when new magazine issues become available. The app's improvements extend to enhancing the discovery of content, enabling users to initiate their reading experience with just a single tap.


2022. Libraries can now share thoughts and recommendations with Libby



Overdrive's Libby has recently introduced an exciting new feature that allows libraries to enhance reader engagement through sharing thoughts, quotes, trivia, and recommendations. Known as Shelf Talkers, this feature provides each library with a dedicated space within the Libby app to exhibit their curatorial expertise and knowledge by communicating personal notes directly to patrons. Shelf Talkers in Libby enable librarians to connect with readers by suggesting titles, offering intriguing insights about a book or author, showcasing the curators' personalities, and adding a unique library-specific touch to their Libby collection. Users can access shelf talkers on a title's details page in Libby, and librarians have the ability to schedule them for future publication, ensuring they remain fresh and timely. The current available types of shelf talkers include recommendations (featuring librarian and staff recommendations), favorite quotes (highlighting notable quotes from a title), trivia (providing interesting facts about a title or author), and thoughts (sharing timely updates such as readalikes, upcoming movie adaptations, release dates for the next book in a series, or details about upcoming book club meetings or author visits at the library).


2018. Scribd reintroduced unlimited audiobooks and eBooks



Scribd has reintroduced its unlimited subscription system for audiobooks and ebooks. This system allows subscribers to enjoy unlimited access to a wide range of content, including ebooks, magazines, newspapers, sheet music, and audiobooks. For casual readers who typically read a few books a month from well-known publishers, Scribd's service is highly appealing. However, avid readers may encounter limitations. Once a certain number of titles have been read, access to the entire Scribd catalog is restricted, and readers can only choose from a limited selection. The exact threshold for this limitation remains unknown. Scribd's main competitor is Amazon Kindle Unlimited, but it is only available in specific countries and offers fewer titles from major publishers.


2017. Scribd removes digital comics



Scribd has made the decision to discontinue the availability of digital comics on their platform, resulting in the removal of over one thousand single issues and graphic novels. The company cited the high royalties associated with comic reading as economically unviable, leading them to suspend the service instead of pursuing alternative solutions. Scribd has encountered several challenges in recent years, despite many of their competitors exiting the market. They initially removed over 225,000 romance and self-published e-books from their platform, followed by announcing cuts to their audiobook system due to financial losses. Consequently, they eliminated their unlimited audiobook package and restricted subscribers to listening to a single title per month. In 2016, Scribd transitioned from an unlimited service model to a credit-based system.


2016. Scribd is limiting the number of e-books you can read



Commencing in March, Scribd subscribers will receive Monthly Read credits, granting them the ability to enjoy three e-books and one audiobook per month from Scribd's extensive library. Moreover, subscribers will still have unlimited access to books from Scribd Selects, a curated collection of titles that rotates regularly. Scribd highlights that approximately 97% of its customers read fewer than three books monthly, implying that this change will likely have minimal impact on the majority of users. The unsustainable nature of the unlimited e-book subscription model is evident, as numerous companies in this space have ultimately closed down. Despite raising significant amounts of funding, such as Entitle and Oyster's hundred-million-dollar investments, these companies were unable to establish a sustainable model for this concept.


2015. Scribd acquired social reading app Librify



Ebook subscription startup Scribd has recently announced its acquisition of Librify, a social reading app. The companies highlighted Librify's emphasis on the social reading experience as a compelling factor behind the deal. This news comes at a time of intense competition in the publishing industry, with Amazon, Oyster, and others vying to establish themselves as the leading "Netflix for books," offering similar products. Scribd intends to leverage Librify's social features to enhance its own platform, aiming to create a more comprehensive and engaging social e-reading experience. Scribd's co-founder and CEO, Trip Adler, expressed appreciation for Librify's focus on the social reading experience and their significant contributions to reading communities. The acquisition aligns with Scribd's existing product and reflects their commitment to further explore and develop this aspect of their platform, in response to the desires of both the company and its readers.


2015. Scribd adds 10,000 comic books for unlimited subscription



For those who already enjoy unlimited access to a vast library of e-books and audiobooks for $8.99 a month, Scribd has exciting news to share today—it is expanding into the world of comic books. The service is introducing over 10,000 comics and graphic novels from renowned publishers such as Marvel, Archie, Boom! Studios, Dynamite, IDW/Top Shelf, and Valiant. Available on iOS, Android, and the web, the subscription service now offers readers the opportunity to explore comic books and graphic novels through various categories, publishers, and even key characters. To enhance the user experience, Scribd employs a dedicated team of marketing and editorial professionals who curate collections on the platform. With this expansion, Scribd continues to provide a diverse and engaging reading experience to its subscribers.


2014. Scribd adds 30K audiobooks to its $8.99/month ebook subscription



As of today, Scribd has introduced a new section for audiobooks, granting its subscribers access to 30,000 titles. This addition allows users to seamlessly switch between reading and listening experiences for books that have both text and audio versions. For instance, you can begin reading a book at home and continue listening to the story in your car while driving. Notably, Scribd has expanded its audiobook collection without increasing its $8.99 monthly subscription fee. Furthermore, the platform boasts over 500,000 e-book titles, and its subscriber base has been growing steadily, averaging a 52 percent monthly increase since the quiet launch of the subscription service in January 2013.


2014. Scribd builds new discovery experience



Subscription ebook service Scribd is set to introduce an innovative book discovery engine. This new technology combines editor tagging, curation, and a novel book categorization system that diverges from the widely used BISAC classification scheme. With the aid of algorithms, these elements work harmoniously to enhance the surfacing of fresh and improved book recommendations for users. Scribd aims to amplify the number of serendipitous discoveries, which currently accounts for over half of its titles. The company recognizes that increasing this proportion is crucial for retaining subscribers. In the realm of subscription services, recommendation engines play a vital role, as customer engagement is pivotal for sustaining retention.


2014. Scribd launches Windows Phone app, updates Android, iOS apps



The popular ebook subscription service, Scribd, has made significant updates to its iOS and Android apps, while also introducing a new app specifically designed for Windows phones and tablets. Existing users of the iOS and Android apps will enjoy a fresh browsing and book page experience, along with new fonts and color palettes. Windows phone and tablet users can now access unlimited reading anytime and anywhere, with all the features available to mobile web users. By launching the Windows app in addition to existing apps for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and Nook tablets, Scribd has achieved over 6 million downloads, surpassing other subscription book services in terms of device presence across various countries. This latest development further exemplifies the company's global commitment to fostering a love for reading. For further information, you can also explore: How to read Google Books on Windows Phone?


2014. Scribd adds notes and highlights to its reading app



The leading ebook subscription platform, Scribd, has enhanced the reading experience by introducing exciting new features to its iOS and Android mobile reader apps. Firstly, users now have the ability to highlight their favorite passages, paragraphs, and quotes, as well as share them with friends. Additionally, the apps allow users to add notes, annotations, and ideas while reading. The second new feature is Image Zoom, enabling users to zoom in on maps and other illustrations for a closer examination. Furthermore, all notes, highlights, and bookmarks seamlessly synchronize across all mobile devices, and users can conveniently access them on a per-book basis.


2014. Scribd takes on Amazon - launches app for Kindle Fire



Scribd, the e-book subscription service, has introduced a new app specifically designed for Kindle Fire tablets, providing users with an alternative to Amazon's Kindle e-book store. While Scribd is already accessible on iOS and Android devices, as well as through web browsers, this expansion into specialized e-readers marks their first foray into the dedicated book reading market. Trip Adler, CEO and co-founder of Scribd, acknowledged the demand from their global readership for a Kindle Fire-compatible app. Recognizing the popularity of Kindle Fire as one of the leading reading devices available today, Scribd aims to enable their readers to enjoy the Scribd experience seamlessly across all their devices.


2013. Scribd and Oyster sing more book publishers



Competing ebook subscription services, Oyster and Scribd, have recently secured partnerships with new publishers to expand the selection of titles available on their platforms. Oyster has collaborated with Perseus, although the specific number of titles to be distributed through the subscription provider has not been disclosed. Noteworthy additions include popular works such as "Friday Night Lights," "Masters of Sex," and "Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage," all of which will be accessible to Oyster subscribers for a monthly fee of $9.95. On the other hand, Scribd has inked a deal with self-published ebook distributor Smashwords, effectively more than tripling its existing catalog. With the inclusion of Smashwords titles, the number of ebooks available through Scribd's $8.99 monthly subscription will surpass 325,000. Additionally, Smashwords titles will also be available for individual purchase on the broader Scribd site. It's worth noting that Oyster also has an existing partnership with Smashwords. At present, Oyster and Scribd boast a highly similar, if not entirely overlapping, catalog of titles. For further comparison, refer to the article on Oyster vs Scribd.


2013. Scribd wants to be the Netflix for e-books



Scribd, the popular document publishing and sharing service formerly known as the "Youtube for documents," is now aiming to become the "Netflix for e-books." They are introducing an ebook subscription service that allows users to pay $8.99 per month for unlimited access to e-books and other written works. This price point is lower than that of the recently launched mobile ebook platform Oyster, which charges $9.99 per month, and eReatah, a book club-like service with plans starting at $16.99 per month. The selection of book titles is also similar, as Scribd relies on the same publishers as Oyster, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Red Wheel/Weiser, Rosetta Books, Sourcebooks, and Workman. However, unlike Oyster, which is the closest competitor to Scribd's new venture, Scribd is accessible on iPhone, iPad, Android, and web browsers.