BorrowBox Library 4+

I use the BorrowBox app every day and I have compared it to Audible , Libby and several others. I find it much easier to use due to the fact that the volume control is in the app itself and doesn’t require me to fiddle around with the buttons on the side of my phone. I also find it very helpful that I can see other books by the same author and if I like the narrator I can easily search by that name too simultaneously seeing if the book is available or how long I’ll have to wait. I can also see if my library has all of the books in a series and if I’m downloading in the right sequence. The sleep control is also easy to use. In all of the above it is significantly better than it’s competitors. The only problem I have is that after reading several hundred books and as I grow older it’s very hard to remember which ones I’ve read from each author and it would be fantastic if the app had that function.

This is one of a few apps I like for listening to audiobooks. While it’s a useful app I don’t understand why it’s the only audiobook app that doesn’t have what I consider a basic functionality- the 30secs rewind/forward buttons on the lock screen. Not having these buttons when my phone is in lock mode means having to log in every time I need to rewind 30 secs. It’s cumbersome! All my other audiobook apps has this feature. I think it’s a necessity and don’t understand how a popular app can be missing this essential feature! Hence 3 stars.

Update: I notice that the 30 secs rewind/forward is now on the Lock Screen, so thank you for listening. However when I use the forward or back buttons in the car (or my Bluetooth earphones), instead of rewind/forward 30 secs it jumps to the beginning or end of a chapter. Frustrating trying to find the place again. Other audiobook apps and podcast apps I use recognize the car / Bluetooth earphones rewind/forward as the 30secs back/forward. Please change this!

Almost five years ago I sold up and moved into a retirement village. One thing I had to let go of was my collection of about 1000 books, with a few exceptions. Despite having worked for a book publisher in various capacities for 37 years, I was never sold on books-as-possessions, and was quite happy to continue my love affair with reading by borrowing from the local library. I read reviews, and from them I have built up a to-read list which makes it unnecessary for me to browse library shelves, rather visiting the library knowing which books on my list are available, and going straight to where they should be. Now in the days where COVID-19 makes it desirable to minimize physical contact, I put my reading list and the library catalogue up together on my screen, choose my next book from ebooks available on BorrowBox, a download it to my IPad. The only 2 disadvantages to this are that every book on my list is not available on BorrowBox, and I am in trouble when my iPad runs out of battery.