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eBooks & Audiobooks

Libby by OverDrive

eBooks, audiobooks, & magazines available for download to your computer or mobile device. To read on your tablet or phone use the Libby app.

Comics Plus

Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga without holds, wait lists, or monthly limits.

LOTE4Kids

Kids can enjoy thousands of picture books in more than 70+ languages, including sign language, with English translations.

Libby by OverDrive

eBooks, audiobooks, & magazines available for download to your computer or mobile device. To read on your tablet or phone use the Libby app.

Comics Plus

Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga without holds, wait lists, or monthly limits.

LOTE4Kids

Kids can enjoy thousands of picture books in more than 70+ languages, including sign language, with English translations.

Movies & Music

Freegal Music

Freegal Music is a free music streaming and download app. It offers access to millions of songs from a wide variety of artists and genres.

biblio+

With biblio+, library card holders have unlimited access to an ad-free catalog of movies, TV shows, and documentaries on many devices.

Kanopy

Kanopy includes acclaimed movies and documentaries on-demand from award-winning filmmakers. Each month BPL patrons receive 18 tickets.

Freegal Music

Freegal Music is a free music streaming and download app. It offers access to millions of songs from a wide variety of artists and genres.

biblio+

With biblio+, library card holders have unlimited access to an ad-free catalog of movies, TV shows, and documentaries on many devices.

Kanopy

Kanopy includes acclaimed movies and documentaries on-demand from award-winning filmmakers. Each month BPL patrons receive 18 tickets.

Magazines & Newspapers

OverDrive Magazines

Over 3000 popular magazines are available instantly, and they don't count against checkout limits.

Flipster Digital Magazines

Explore, download, and read current magazine issues on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

PressReader

Full-color reproductions of thousands of U.S. & international newspapers & magazines from the last three months available via web or app.

OverDrive Magazines

Over 3000 popular magazines are available instantly, and they don't count against checkout limits.

Flipster Digital Magazines

Explore, download, and read current magazine issues on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

PressReader

Full-color reproductions of thousands of U.S. & international newspapers & magazines from the last three months available via web or app.

From Our Streaming & Downloadable Collections

Staff List

BPL Staff Picks: September 2025

Every month staff from across the Boston Public Library system recommend their favorite books for all ages across a variety of genres.
BostonPL_ReadersAdvisory
Staff List

BPL Staff Picks: August 2025

Every month staff from across the Boston Public Library system recommend their favorite books for all ages across a variety of genres.
BostonPL_ReadersAdvisory
Blog Post

Queer Lit Review: August 2025

This month: an immortal ghost hunter finds new friends, a grotesque mermaid helps a high schooler, and a shop keeper falls for a detective.
JordanD
Staff List

BPL Staff Picks: September 2025

Every month staff from across the Boston Public Library system recommend their favorite books for all ages across a variety of genres.
BostonPL_ReadersAdvisory
Staff List

BPL Staff Picks: August 2025

Every month staff from across the Boston Public Library system recommend their favorite books for all ages across a variety of genres.
BostonPL_ReadersAdvisory
Blog Post

Queer Lit Review: August 2025

This month: an immortal ghost hunter finds new friends, a grotesque mermaid helps a high schooler, and a shop keeper falls for a detective.
JordanD

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OverDrive (Libby app)

  • The OverDrive app was discontinued on May 1, 2023. This was our vendor OverDrive's decision, not the Boston Public Library's decision.

    We encourage you to make the switch to OverDrive's Libby app, opens a new window.

    Here is OverDrive's Libby Help guide for OverDrive app users, opens a new window. 

    Access to our OverDrive site, opens a new window will remain available.

  • You can borrow up to ten titles from OverDrive at a single time. These do not count toward the limit of seventy-five physical loans at a time on your library card.

  • OverDrive lends eBooks and audiobooks for up to fourteen days. If you prefer, you can select shorter loan periods for each format individually in your account.

    In some cases, the loan period is set by the publisher and will vary from the above. When this happens, the loan period will be displayed at checkout.

View more about OverDrive (Libby app)

Kanopy

  • Each month BPL patrons receive 18 tickets. These tickets reset each month and do not roll over to the next month.

    Depending on the length and viewing period of each title, movies in Kanopy will require between 0-5 tickets per viewing.

    You can see your remaining tickets for the month in the top-right corner of the homepage.

    Note: Kanopy Kids doesn't use tickets. You can access an unlimited number of Kanopy Kids titles each month.

  • These tickets reset each month and do not roll over to the next month. You can still borrow and watch titles that cost 0 tickets.

  • Visit the New and Novel Desk at the Central Library, check our calendar for computer instruction classes, or use Kanopy’s support site.

View more about Kanopy

Flipster

  • You can download the Flipster app from your device's app store. If you have a Kindle Fire, you can download it directly.

    Search for Boston Public Library in the app and enter your library card number and PIN to get started.

    The app is not required to access Flipster. You may also use your device's web browser to access it.

  • Flipster magazines don't have traditional loan periods like eBooks.

    Some select titles will expire and will need to be deleted from your device after a set time, however. These titles display an expired icon and appear grayed out when no longer available to read. Select weekly titles may expire in 2 days while select monthly or seasonal titles may expire in 7 days. After they expire, these titles may be redownloaded if they are still available.

  • Yes! On your computer, open the most recent issue of a magazine and select the All Issues menu item in the right column to see all available issues. In the app, the back issues appear on the latest issue screen below the title's description.

View more about Flipster Digital Magazines

Freegal Music

  • Freegal Music is the Boston Public Library’s free music streaming and download application. It offers access to millions of songs from a wide variety of artists and genres.

  • You can listen to Freegal Music in a browser or with a free app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

  • We offer unlimited ad-free streaming through Freegal Music, and you can download 3 songs per week to keep.

View more about Freegal Music

Hoopla

  • Yes, so long as you have a physical BPL card or an eCard.

  • Hoopla can be used in a web browser at hoopladigital.com or with its app on iOS, Android, and Amazon devices. You will need your library card number and an email address to get started.

  • You can check out seven items from Hoopla per calendar month.

    To suggest titles for purchase please log into your library account and complete the form “submit a suggestion” found in your library dashboard.

View more about Hoopla

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