These days it seems to be a widely held belief that, no matter what function you need your smartphone to perform, there is an app for that. And of course your neighborhood library is no exception. If you haven’t already discovered the magic of our various library apps, open the App Store or Google Play and explore. In fact, here are a few apps we would love you to get to know.
CAFÉ Libraries
This is our very own library app and is super useful for many of the everyday library actions you want to do online. If you have a library card for any Waukesha County public library, run, don’t walk, to your smart device and download this app right away. It’s free to use, user-friendly and, best of all, gives you some of the most frequented actions all in one convenient place. Placing items on hold, renewing items and paying fines are just a few of the actions you can do through the app. Once logged in, you also have access to a digital copy of your library card that we can scan when you are here. No more digging for the plastic version! Learn more about this app at this link. And, check out our iPhone app commercial spoof on Instagram here!
Hoopla
Hoopla is an online media service that gives you access to a wide collection of audiobooks, e-books, music, movies, TV shows and comics. A library membership is required, but once you’ve downloaded the app, you will have access to their entire collection. The first time you log in, you will need to provide your library card number and your PIN. Then, you will create a Hoopla account with your own email address and create a new password to log in. Hoopla is great on your mobile device or your smart TV or your computer. Once you sign up, you are given two check-outs per month, but there are never any holds to place on Hoopla -- if you find it, it’s yours! Learn more about this app at this link.
Libby
Arguably one of the most popular library apps is Libby (formerly known as Overdrive). With Libby, you have access to thousands of audiobooks, e-books and magazines. If you haven’t already, download the Libby app, then use your library account to gain access to Libby’s entire library. Once in, you can search for materials by title, author, format, genre or availability. Best of all, with your library membership, Libby content is free. Learn more about this app at this link.
Udemy
Udemy is a source for literally thousands of online courses. Everything from cooking to coding, fractions to foreign language, hygge to home workouts, is available and, of course, with your library membership you can enroll for these courses free of charge. We recommend accessing Udemy first on the computer to create your account. Once your account is created, then you can either access Udemy on the computer, or download the "Udemy Business" app. Learn more about this app at this link.
Of course these apps are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to online resources available through our website. We encourage you to look beyond our books in order to make the most of your neighborhood library!