If you find a book in your library’s CloudLibrary catalog, look for one more thing before you count on reading it on a Kobo: a “Send to Kobo” button on the ebook’s details page. CloudLibrary’s guide says some library editions have no match in Kobo’s catalog, so the button won’t appear for those books.
Rakuten Kobo announced its partnership with OCLC’s CloudLibrary on November 12. Some readers had the option before the announcement: Sarasota County Libraries’ October 19 guide says the feature began in October. For compatible books, the direct transfer can replace the cable and Adobe Digital Editions software the county describes for manual transfers.
Start with your library and your device. Kobo’s setup guide limits CloudLibrary integration to libraries in the United States and Canada that offer the service. It lists software version 4.38 or later, with a higher minimum of 4.46 for the Kobo Clara BW, Clara Colour, and Libra Colour. In CloudLibrary on the web or in the app, sign in with your library card, then use Kobo Connect to link your Kobo account.
The two steps happen on different screens. Find the ebook and send it from CloudLibrary, then sync the Kobo to read it there. If the ebook is checked out, Kobo’s guide directs you to place a hold. If the ebook is available but has no “Send to Kobo” button after you link your accounts, that edition isn’t eligible for direct delivery. Sarasota’s guide says some incompatible ebooks may still transfer manually and that the direct option doesn’t support audiobooks.
Kobo’s Libby integration works differently: on supported devices, readers at participating libraries can browse, borrow, and place holds on the e-reader itself. For a CloudLibrary loan, Sarasota County’s instructions send readers back to the CloudLibrary app or website to borrow again or renew. The shortcut saves the cable; your library still handles the loan.