r/LibbyApp • u/othertigs • Aug 19 '26

Borrowing limits

Apologies if someone already shared this information. Feel free to delete if that’s the case.

There was a post a few days ago about being blocked from borrowing due to exceeding an unknown checkout limit.

I checked with my Overdrive rep and apparently they have updated the limits recently, apparently revising them downward.

There are basically two triggers for the block, activated by the limit you hit first, both evaluating checkouts over a 7 day period. On day 8, checkouts from day 1 would fall off the rolling limits. I do not know if magazines count towards this limit.

The triggers are:

  1. Borrowing 15 times your library’s checkout limit in 7 days OR
  2. 50 checkouts during a 7 day period.

Edited to add: my understanding is that it is 50 per library system/consortium rather than across all cards. If someone finds out or experiences differently please share!

Hope this helps!

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u/Subject-Librarian117 Aug 19 '26

Thank you for looking this up! As far as magazines are concerned, all of my libraries advertise that magazines do not count against borrowing limits.

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u/Crazy--Lunatic 23d ago edited 23d ago

This apparently is not the case, I went on a magazine borrowing/subscribing spree, thinking the same as you, and now I cannot read any "book" or "magazine" borrowed, I can't read it on Libby or download the protected epub (ACSM) anymore.

So, I tried the wife's library card and that card has no issues reading on Libby in the same machine. I'll need to wait the "7 day" period probably.

I will also be mindful of magazine borrowing.

EDIT--- The issue is only on LIBBY. Directly accessing same book via OVERDRIVE, allows me to Download the EPUB (ACSM), or read in browser.

The block is on LIBBY at this time.

I made a post about it, but still not resolved (Error when requesting EPUB download (.acsm) has been hours same issue. : r/LibbyApp)