Frequently Asked Questions

Can I listen to audiobooks on my smart speaker?

Yes! You can listen to audiobooks from our Libby collection and our hoopla collection on Google Nest (previously called Google Home), Amazon Echo, and Sonos.

Stream audiobooks from Libby

Listen to audiobooks from Libby on your Google Nest or Amazon Echo using Bluetooth:

1. Pair your mobile device with your Google Nest or Amazon Echo:
   • For help pairing your mobile device with your Amazon Echo, see Amazon's help article.
   • For help using Bluetooth with your Google speaker, check out steps 1 and 2 in Google's help article about playing music on your speaker.
2. Once paired, connect your mobile device to your Google Nest or Amazon Echo.
3. Play your audiobook in Libby.

Note: You won't be able to play audiobooks from Libby using voice command.

Listen to audiobooks from Libby on your Sonos speakers:

1. Add the Libby service in your Sonos Controller app.
2. Sign into the Libby service:
   • When prompted, enter your setup code from the Libby app.
   • To get a setup code: Open Libby, and go to the Libby menu . Tap Get Some Help. Then, tap Copy To Another Device.
3. Once signed in, go back to the Sonos Controller app and enter a name for your account.
4. Tap on an audiobook on your shelf to start listening.

If you have trouble with the Libby service, please contact Sonos support.

Stream audiobooks from hoopla

Listen to audiobooks from hoopla on your Google Nest or Sonos speaker using Bluetooth.

Listen to audiobooks from hoopla on your Amazon Echo:

To get hoopla onto your Alexa device, you must add the Alexa “skill.”  This is the Alexa equivalent of installing an app from the app store.  The hoopla “skill” can be found here.

When asking Alexa to interact with an app, Alexa requires you phrase your command like this: “Alexa, ask hoopla…”

For example, “Alexa, ask hoopla how many borrows I have remaining.”

***You must start with “Alexa, ask hoopla…”  If you don’t, it will not know to get the information from hoopla, and will instead return results from Amazon.

Allowed Commands

Alexa, ask hoopla…

…how many items I can borrow.

…how many items I currently have borrowed.

…for my library’s phone number.

…to list all titles I have borrowed.

…to list my music / …to list the music I currently have borrowed. / …to play my music

…to list my audiobooks / …to list the audiobooks I currently have borrowed.

…what it is / …what is hoopla?

When listening to music, you can use “Alexa next” or “Alexa previous” to go to the next/previous tracks.

Note: Alexa is very smart with language, and is able to interpret several variations of commands. For example, “Alexa, ask hoopla how many borrows I have left on my account” or “Alexa, ask hoopla how many borrows I get” are both valid questions and should generate the same response from Alexa.