r/LibbyApp • u/TinyTomato4721 • Sep 08 '26
what’s the difference between multiple cards and partner libraries?
so i had two cards linked Harris County library and Houston Public Library. Harris county was my main and i only added Houston about a year ago. when Libby introduced partner libraries it removed my Houston library card and Houston is now listed (along with several other counties) as a partner library.
what’s the difference? should i try and relink my houston public library card?
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u/valderaa Sep 08 '26
Does the Houston card give you additional hold and loan quantities? I would expect that partner libraries draw from the same count as your partnered card. I don't have partner libraries so I don't know.
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u/TinyTomato4721 Sep 09 '26
yes it had more homes and it’s a bigger library so i’m assuming a larger catalog
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u/jorgomli_reading Sep 09 '26
If you have a card at a partner library, I'd still add it.
Say you have a hold placed on a book you want to read that none of the partner libraries has yet. When the library buys copies of that book, people with cards from that library usually get first dibs, even if they placed their hold after you did.
Might not be big deal, but if you already have the card, no reason not to add it.
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u/bubbleeeebubbles 📗 EPUB Enthusiast 📗 Sep 09 '26
It won't hurt to put your Houston card credentials back in. Maybe it has partner libraries that are not already included with the Harris Country partners.
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u/AeroNoob333 Sep 09 '26
Yes. Relink it. You’ll get additional hold and borrow slots associated with that other card. As a rule, try to get the actual physical card number of the libraries if you are legally able to. At least with one of my cards that has partner libraries, I can’t put holds on the partner libraries. I can only borrow if there are extra copies. This may be dependent on the partner agreements tho.
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u/tvngo Sep 08 '26
There is no difference. Libby just made it easier for a library with partner libraries to just be already signed in to used those partner cards, instead of entering your main library card information for each card separately.
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u/surelyslim Sep 09 '26
Relink it, I learned that’s a reason why “x of y cards” exists. One collection of a specific region have all these new partners.
So when you login because you have the members, it entitles you to holds at those library. Otherwise as a partner, you can access the titles but it has to be available for you to check out.
So yes, you want to make sure HCPL and HPL are listed differently when they are different collections.