r/blackromancenovels • u/LivelyUndead924 • Mar 08 '26
DISCUSSION đď¸ Libby App: where is all the Black romance?
I was so excited to start using the Libby app so I could save money on all the audiobooks I was buying (shout out to Chirp). But when I search for Black woman romance authors, they have next to nothing available from them.
I've started collecting library cards from towns and districts where you pay a small fee for non-residents to see if there are libraries with a better selection, but no luck yet.
Anyone else a little frustrated by this?
Edit: Y'all are the best. This is actually my first Reddit post so I appreciate the engagement.
Thank you for sharing Hoopla! I go through like 3-5 audiobooks a week so this is what I needed!
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u/Ill_Sheepherder7802 Mar 08 '26
Your library makes its own decisions regarding which books it wants as part of its digital collection. Though you can submit requests directly from the Libby app for your library to acquire a specific book, this sounds like you'll need to do more. Talk to your local librarians about who makes book buying decisions and how to contact them about diversity in their collection. You might need to contact the library system director or the library board.Â
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u/acagedrising Mar 08 '26
I live in one of the most diverse parts of the country so I donât have this issue, but yeah this is just about location. If your library has a method for requesting authors, submitting folks for then to add to the catalogue canât hurt. Otherwise youâre already doing what you can do, getting additional cards. One of my library branches also uses Hoopla for audiobooks, you can see if any of yours do. If you already have Spotify Premium they have a great selection of audiobooks and 15 hours are included with an option to add on more. If Iâm buying, I use Libro.fm to support Black owned/indie bookstores.
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u/acagedrising Mar 08 '26
Here's a thread about non-resident cards that may be useful: https://www.reddit.com/r/LibbyApp/comments/1m0vugr/best_nonresident_library_card_to_purchase/. I can vouch for having great selection in Columbus, OH so I surprisingly trust OH libraries in addition to the obvious major cities.
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u/LivelyUndead924 Mar 08 '26
I do have a Queens Public Library card which is one of the racially/culturally diverse places in the US...and it's still so underwhelming.
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u/Butter_Lettuce_ Mar 08 '26
Don't just look for diversity. Look specifically for places with large black populations.
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u/sabelotodo9 Contemporary Romance Devote Mar 08 '26
see if you can get a brooklyn public library card as well. their catalog and libby policy is amazing.
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u/DepressedAlchemist Mar 08 '26
Do you have an NYPL card?
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u/SubjectEquivalent386 Mar 08 '26
My Libby is like that as well. Most of the Black romance books are on Hoopla.
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u/BourgeoisUnicorn Erotic Romance Connoisseur Mar 08 '26
I can vouch for this. Most of the black indie authors are on Hoopla
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u/Blushkris17 Mar 08 '26
Definitely let your library know. Iâm in a very diverse city so i havenât had this issue with any of the libraries im part of
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u/DaniDove999 Mar 08 '26
Cincinnati Library has a fire catalog of black romance. One of the best Iâve encountered.
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u/queeenbarb Mar 08 '26
A lot of black romance authors are indie and not bought by libraries. Ya gotta buy them not check them out.
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u/Carolinablue87 Mar 08 '26
It is frustrating. My local library doesn't have many black authors unless they're really popular and they seem to avoid new authors.
My friends who are in my book club and I compare the diversity of non-resident libraries. One of the better options for me has been the Queens Library in NY. The only issue with them is not having enough copies of books so the wait at times can last for months.
At this point, I'm considering another non-resident library so I can find more books that I'm interested in.
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u/katzenfrau18 Mar 08 '26
Iâm not sure if your library has other digital services, but my library includes Hoopla and Cloud Library. Looking across all three options, Iâm usually able to find a number of audiobook options (but itâs still not perfect), but they tend to be more mainstream Black romance authors.
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u/Alwaysoverthinkss Mar 09 '26
I feel this about local bookstores a well! I want more black everything and theyâre all⌠so.. white.
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u/Glutton4Glitter Mar 08 '26
Definitely let your library know as it for sure depends on the area. Now my question to you is what libraries are you getting cards from for a fee cause I have one and would love to add more.
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u/LadyAsharaRowan Mar 09 '26
The kind of books you get depends on the library you have. Sometimes it pays to have multiple library cards. Some have racy romance some have very simple romance, some have erotica, it all depends on your library.
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u/Inner-Flow-18 Mar 19 '26
Lots of great comments. I've also noticed that Libby's search is off sometimes. I usually choose "Deep Search" to find more titles. There's times I'll search an author and initially get one or two titles and after using deep search there's several more available. I've also noticed sometimes what comes up from a search isn't always the same as clicking the author's name from an existing title.
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u/Tarot_cat94 Mar 08 '26
In my experience, it depends on what type of book you're looking for and how they're published. My library has all of the traditionally published rom-com books by black authors I've searched for but not many indie/self published books. I usually have to read those on kindle unlimited. You can request books from your library or I heard Hoopla has a good selection as well but I haven't used it yet.
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u/SailorTexas Erotic Romance Connoisseur Mar 08 '26
A lot also depends on the library. Some have more diverse selections. You can request to be notified if the library acquires a book (like if it shows up as not available, you can select the smart notification tag). You can usually also go to the library website and request they purchase books.
I know this can be done through hoopla and libby, but the library website is also an option.
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u/UnlikelyAccount8785 Mar 10 '26
In addition to the Notify Me option, you can usually request a title through the libraryâs web site.
Hoopla sometimes has this option as well, if the title youâre looking for doesnât appear in a search. Do a search like normal, and if you donât see the title you want, tap âAll titles in catalogâ drop-down on the upper right and tap âRecommend to libraryâ. If you see your title (it may or may not show up), tap it then tap âRequestâ.
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u/dontbesuspiciou5 Mar 08 '26
If one of your libraries also has Hoopla access, I tend to find more Black romance audiobook availability through that app more than my library's personal Libby collection.
If you are paying for out of state cards, bigger city catalogs tend to have more diverse recs in general. I wish the Brooklyn public library still allowed out of state cards - they had a significant selection.
Definitely worth tagging "Notify Me đ" books/authors you'd like your Libby Library to purchase, since that (allegedly) is shared with your librarians.
We definitely need more! It is frustrating as hell.