Check This Out
November 11, 2021
Public libraries are a genuine treasure.
I'm a big fan of Libby—an app for Android, iOS, and the web—that lets you borrow e-books and audiobooks from your library.
I found that searching for a book or author in Libby based on a recommendation I ran across online was a little cumbersome for me:
- Copy (or try and fail to memorize!) the title or author
- Quit Safari and swipe around trying to remember which screen Libby lives on
- Launch Libby
- Hit the Search tab
- Paste my selection and kick off the search
So, like a good nerd, I made a bookmarklet called Check This Out that makes it a cinch to start a new book:
- Select a title or author on any web page
- Click or tap the Check This Out bookmarklet to launch Libby directly into a search
- Click or tap one more time to preview, reserve, or check out the book
Since the process of installing a bookmarklet on iOS isn't very straightforward I also made a site to help document the process, and decided to lean way into the vintage paperback book aesthetic:
I'll dive into a few details soon about building the site (the “animated stills” that demonstrate the feature and document the process of installing the bookmarklet were a blast to think through and build).
But for now—if you love to read, check out Check This Out.