The setup that works on the day you're there is not the same as a setup that keeps working after you leave. Here's how to build the second kind.
Most Kobo and Libby guides tell you how to borrow a book. This one tells you how to leave behind a borrowing system that a reader can actually repeat on their own — next week, next month, six months from now.
That is a different problem. It requires deliberate choices during setup that most guides never mention. The advice here comes from the kind of experience you get after helping the same people call you back repeatedly with the same panicked question: "It stopped working."
Every decision during setup should be evaluated by one question: Can this person do this step alone, without help, three months from now? If the answer is no, simplify it or remove it.
Connect only one library card to this Kobo. Not two. Not all three your parent has from different municipalities.
Multiple library cards multiply the places where things can go wrong. Different PINs, different holds queues, different expiry dates, different OverDrive versus Libby lending rules. When a reader calls you in a panic because "the book disappeared," you will need to diagnose which card, which app, which shelf it came from. They cannot do that. You may not be able to either, on the phone, without being there.
Pick the library that has the best digital collection and the most forgiving checkout periods. Usually that means the public library the reader visits in person — they are already comfortable with the building and staff there. Connect only that card.
Only add a second library card if all of these are true: the reader successfully borrows and returns books solo with the first card over at least four weeks, you are physically present to add the second card and test it, and the reader understands (and can articulate) which library each book came from. Most people never reach this bar, and that is fine.
The default Kobo font size is too small for most readers with low-vision concerns. Do not leave it for the reader to discover — set it during setup so the first book they open looks readable.
On any current Kobo model, tap the Aa button while a book is open. Font size 5 is a reasonable starting point for readers with mild vision difficulty. For anyone with macular degeneration or significant vision loss, size 6 or 7 is more realistic. The goal is comfortable reading without squinting, not the largest font that fits technically.
The settings apply per-book by default on older Kobo firmware. On newer firmware, you can apply them to all future books. Either way, confirm they look correct before you leave.
The goal is a flow the reader can follow with a laminated card and no phone call. Four steps, no app-switching.
This flow works for Kobo devices that have Libby integrated (most models sold after 2022). For older Kobos using OverDrive's standalone browser interface, the steps differ slightly but the principle is the same: keep it in one place, avoid switching to a separate phone app mid-flow.
Books sometimes don't appear after borrowing. This is one of the most common calls you will get. The cause is almost always a sync that didn't complete, not a failed borrow.
The 2-tap fix: tap the sync icon at the top of the Kobo home screen (circular arrows) and wait 30 seconds. If no sync icon is visible, swipe down from the top of the home screen to reveal it. The book appears after sync on a working Wi-Fi connection 95% of the time.
Make a laminated card and leave it physically next to the Kobo. This is not optional. Written instructions outlast memory and work when phones are dead.
To borrow a library book:
If the book doesn't appear: Swipe down from the top and tap the sync button (circular arrows). Wait 30 seconds.
Library card number: __________________________
Library PIN: ________ (ask the library if you forgot it)
Wi-Fi network: __________________________
Wi-Fi password: __________________________
If nothing works: Call [library branch name] at [phone number]. Say "I need help borrowing a digital book on my Kobo."
Adapt the text above to match the exact Kobo model you set up. If the library icon is in a different spot on your model, update it. The goal is that a reader can follow this card while looking at the actual Kobo in their hands.
Libby on Kobo works well when it works. When it doesn't — repeated sign-in loops, borrow errors, books that appear in the account but won't sync — stop troubleshooting remotely and switch strategies.
Phone-first library holds: the reader (or caregiver) places holds using the library's phone line or website, and picks up physical large print copies at the branch. This is slower, but it is reliable. It does not require any app, any sync, any account. For readers who live near a well-stocked branch, it is often the better long-term setup anyway.
If the reader cannot manage Libby independently after two honest tries across separate weeks, phone holds plus physical delivery (where available in your municipality) is the more sustainable answer. There is no shame in this. Getting books into a reader's hands is the goal, not completing the Kobo setup.
When the reader calls and says it stopped working, the single most useful instruction you can give is: call the library branch, not tech support.
Library staff have handled this exact call dozens of times. They know the local OverDrive or Libby setup. They can reset expired PINs, check for account issues, confirm which books are on loan, and walk someone through a borrow by phone in five minutes. Kobo's own support line involves longer hold times and scripted responses that often miss the library account side of the problem entirely.
Put the library branch phone number on the laminated card. Not the 1-800 number on the back of the library card — the actual branch number. The branch staff know the local digital lending setup. The central line often does not.