What Are Partner Libraries in Libby? And How To Check Them.
ReciproCard is built on thousands of submissions from library users across the US and Canada.
What Is a Partner Library on Libby?
A partner library is a library system or consortium that has officially teamed up with your home library to share access to their digital catalog through Libby. The key difference between a partner library and a reciprocal library card is that you don't need to apply for anything. You don't have to apply for a new card. You don't wait for approval. Partner libraries now show up automatically in your Libby app, and if one is missing, you can add it manually using the same card number that's already in your wallet.
That's why these are the best! You go from one catalog to two (or up to sixteen!) in about 30 seconds.
And now, thanks to a recent Libby update, most of these get added for you automatically, no card number, no searching, nothing. You open the app and they're already sitting there under a Partner Libraries list.
When you search your home library on ReciproCard, these show up in the "Libby Partner Libraries" section at the very top of your results. Compare that list with the Partner Libraries already showing in Libby, then use the instructions below only for anything missing.
How Big Is This?
Bigger than most people realize. I've mapped out 1,608 partner libraries across 16 US states and 3 Canadian provinces (1,436 in the US, 172 in Canada).
See the ReciproCard Report for the full state-by-state numbers.
Some states and provinces have gone all-in on this. Michigan has 360 partner libraries. Massachusetts has 334. New York has 297.
Some states even have multiple partnerships. California and New York each have three partnerships.
Partner Libraries by State and Province
Here's every state and province with Libby partner agreements that I've found and how many libraries participate in each:
United States
Michigan
Nearly every public library in Michigan (96.5%) participates in a single statewide partnership — the largest in the country. A single Michigan library card can unlock access to a huge amount of Libby catalogs.
Massachusetts
At 98.8% coverage, Massachusetts has the highest participation rate of any state. Nearly every public library in the state is connected through one regional partnership.
New York
New York's partner agreements are regional, with three separate networks covering 130, 100, and 67 libraries respectively. Your results depend on which part of the state your home library is in.
Idaho
Idaho's statewide partnership covers nearly 89% of the state's libraries across 13 different catalogs. Also includes a cross-state connection with two Washington libraries.
South Dakota
Covers 92.5% of the state's public libraries, making it one of the highest participation rates in the country.
California
California has the most catalogs of any partner state. Three separate regional agreements cover Northern California (41 libraries across NorthNet, MARINet, and Peninsula systems), Southern California (14 libraries), and a smaller Central California partnership (2 libraries).
Minnesota
One regional partnership connecting Rochester Public Library, Southeastern Libraries Cooperating, and Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative.
Arizona
One regional partnership spanning 11 catalogs from Flagstaff to Yuma, covering about 64% of the state's libraries.
Pennsylvania
One network covering northwestern Pennsylvania across four shared catalogs: Crawford County, Erie County, Oil Creek, and Seneca District.
Texas
A regional partnership connecting six major library systems, each with their own catalog — including Harris County, Houston Public Library, and Bryan-College Station.
Nevada
Covers the Las Vegas metro area including Henderson and Clark County.
Missouri
Connects three St. Louis area systems: St. Louis County Library, St. Louis Public Library, and St. Charles City-County Library District.
Illinois
Connects Evanston Public Library, Gail Borden Public Library District, Skokie Public Library, and Cook Memorial Public Library.
Washington
A cross-state partnership — two Washington libraries (Asotin County and Pend Oreille County) participate in Idaho's statewide partnership, giving them access to Idaho's 13 Libby catalogs.
Canada
Alberta
Over three-quarters of Alberta's public libraries (76.7%) participate in a single regional partnership connecting the TRAC Consortium and Parkland Regional Library. A card from any of the 155 member libraries unlocks both Libby catalogs.
Ontario
Ontario has two small but catalog-rich partnerships. The Regional partnership connects 8 libraries across 7 different catalogs — including Ottawa, Hamilton, London, and Kingston — making it one of the most catalog-diverse partnerships in Canada despite its small size. A separate Durham Region partnership connects Whitby and Ajax.
British Columbia
A new partnership connecting Greater Victoria Public Library, Fraser Valley Regional Library, and Okanagan Regional Library.
How to Check and Add Your Partner Libraries
Libby rolled out an update that adds partner libraries to your account automatically. For most people there's nothing to do: open Libby, tap the menu, and you should see a Partner Libraries list already sitting there under your home library.
If you don't see that list, or just want to double check everything came through, here's how:
- Tap the menu at the bottom of the app.
- Select your home library card and tap the three dots in the bottom right corner.
- Any partner libraries that aren't connected yet will be listed here.
- Tap "Enable" on each one.
That's it. Once enabled, Libby automatically searches all of your connected libraries at once when you're looking for a book.
How Is This Different From Reciprocal Agreements?
People often assume Libby Partner Libraries are the only kind of extra access out there. They're not, and mixing up the two is one of the most common points of confusion I hear about.
A Libby Partner Library is an official partnership built directly into the Libby app. No new card, no application, and now Libby even adds them automatically. But only 16 states and 3 Canadian provinces currently have an official Libby partnership, so if that's the only thing you're checking for, you're missing a lot.
A reciprocal agreement is different. It's not built into Libby at all, it's an arrangement between library systems (or between a library and residents of a county, or an entire state) that lets you apply for a separate free card and add it to Libby yourself. It's an extra step, but the numbers make it worth it: I've identified reciprocal agreements in 40 states, including 25 states that don't have a single Libby partnership. Across the whole database, there are 1,608 partner libraries against 6,633 separate reciprocal agreements, so agreements are doing most of the heavy lifting nationwide.
Both are completely free. Both add a new digital catalog to your Libby account. The only real difference is whether Libby connects you automatically or whether you apply yourself. The ReciproCard Report has the full state-by-state breakdown of both, and I've written a full guide comparing Libby Partner Libraries vs. Reciprocal Agreements if you want an even deeper dive.
Enter your home library system in the search above to see if you qualify for any Libby Partner Libraries or Reciprocal Agreements.
What If My State or Province Isn't on the List?
If your library doesn't have any partner agreements, that doesn't mean you're out of luck. There are plenty of other ways to expand your Libby access for free:
Reciprocal agreements let you get free cards from other library systems based on where you live. I've verified thousands of these across the US and Canada. Search your home library on ReciproCard to find them.
Free Library Cards NOT Based on Where You Live like Books Unbanned give free digital cards to teens and young adults at major library systems. Check out our complete guide to free library cards for Libby for every option available.
And if you've exhausted all the free options, a paid non-resident card from a major system can add a massive new catalog for as little as $38/year.
Why Don't All States and Provinces Have This?
Partner agreements require library systems to negotiate formal data-sharing arrangements with OverDrive (the company behind Libby). Not every state or province has a library consortium or governing body that coordinates this kind of thing. Some states have one giant shared catalog already (like New Hampshire, Vermont, Wisconsin and Montana), which means partner agreements aren't necessary because everyone already has access to the same collection.
The good news is these networks are growing and the community is helping identify more. I've added new partner agreements to the database multiple times in the past few months. If your state or province isn't on the list today, it might be in a few months. Subscribe to the ReciproCard newsletter and I'll let you know when new partnerships are confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I check my Libby Partner Libraries list? With the recent Libby update, most partner libraries should already be connected automatically. It's still worth checking the Partner Libraries list under your home library card in the app to make sure nothing was missed, and enabling anything that shows up as unconnected.
How do I find partner libraries on Libby? The easiest way is to search your home library on ReciproCard. Any partner libraries will show up in the "Libby Partner Libraries" section at the top of your results. Most should already be connected automatically in the Libby app itself, but you can confirm and enable any missing ones under your home library card's menu.
Do partner libraries have the same books as my home library? No and that's why adding them is so valuable. ReciproCard only shows you results that provide different catalogs than your home library. Different books, different audiobooks, different availability, hopefully shorter wait times.
Are Libby Partner Libraries the same as reciprocal agreements? No, and it's a common mix-up. Partner Libraries are official, built into Libby, and now added automatically, but they only exist in 16 states and 3 Canadian provinces. Reciprocal agreements are separate arrangements you apply for yourself, and they exist in 40 states, including many with no Libby partnership at all. See the section above for the full breakdown.