Our best picks—and what each one does well
The recommendations below compare cards you can buy through Jaideepass. We use three criteria: the approximate catalog size listed on our product page, distinctive collections visible in each library’s OverDrive catalog, and the card-service price.
| Your priority | Our pick | Approx. catalog | Jaideepass price | Why it makes the shortlist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The largest listed collection | Brooklyn | 429k | $59.90 | The largest catalog estimate among our eight options; a starting point for readers who want broad choice. |
| A large collection on a small budget | Auckland | 350k | $29.90 | The lowest price, with a listed collection larger than five of the other seven options. |
| A large New York collection under $50 | NYPL | 394k | $49.90 | Second-largest listed catalog in our range, for $10 less than Brooklyn. |
| Language learning and ESOL | Queens | 194k | $39.90 | Dedicated language-learning audio and ESOL collections. |
| Canadian and Indigenous reading | Toronto | 336k | $49.90 | Dedicated Read Canadian and Indigenous Peoples collections. |
Catalog estimates and prices: Jaideepass Libby product page. Every listed price includes a dedicated card valid for at least 12 months. Estimates change with licensing and do not measure unique books, audiobook-only selection or immediate availability.
Brooklyn: choose it when collection breadth comes first
Brooklyn’s approximately 429k catalog makes it the largest option in our comparison. Its OverDrive shelves include manga, independent romance, and New York housing and urban change, giving readers concrete starting points beyond general bestseller browsing.
At $59.90, it suits someone who wants the largest listed collection in the range and is willing to pay more for that breadth. It is less compelling if a cheaper library already has the books you want. Brooklyn’s estimate is about 35k above NYPL’s, so the extra $10 buys a different collection as well as a larger headline count—not a guarantee of 35k additional books you personally want.
Auckland: our pick for a large collection at the lowest price
Auckland pairs an approximately 350k catalog with a $29.90 price, roughly half Brooklyn’s price. This is why it earns a recommendation: it combines the lowest entry cost with one of the largest listed collections.
Its catalog also provides Aotearoa, Chinese-language and book-club browsing. Choose Auckland if you want to start with a substantial collection at a lower cost, especially if New Zealand writing or Chinese reading is part of your interests.
NYPL: a large New York collection for $10 less than Brooklyn
NYPL’s approximate 394k catalog sits between Brooklyn and Auckland in this comparison. Its $49.90 card costs $10 less than Brooklyn, making it a strong shortlist choice for readers who specifically want a major New York library.
The NYPL catalog includes the NYPL/WNYC Get Lit book club and curated routes into ebooks and audiobooks. If your reading interests fit those selections, NYPL offers a clear reason to choose it beyond its name. Brooklyn remains the larger option in our product table; NYPL offers the lower price.
Queens and Toronto: choose by reading interest
Queens is our $39.90 shortlist choice for language learning. Its digital shelves include ESOL, language-learning audio and world-language browsing. Its approximately 194k catalog is smaller than the three options above, but those collections can matter more to a language learner than a larger total count.
Toronto combines an approximately 336k catalog with a $49.90 price. Its Read Canadian and Indigenous Peoples collections make it a useful choice for those interests. If you mainly want a lower-cost general collection, Auckland is the less expensive starting point.
What about Seattle, Hamilton and the UK consortium?
Our other options are Seattle (~277k, $59.90), Hamilton (~121k, $39.90), and The Libraries Consortium (~115k, $39.90). They remain valid choices when their catalogs contain the authors or editions you want. Their price and total count alone do not establish an advantage over the picks above, so we do not give every available card an invented “best” award.
If audiobooks are your priority
Total catalog size cannot tell you which library has the most audiobooks. Start with the shortlist above, then compare the audiobook edition—not just the title—of the books you want. The narrator and language may differ, and popular recordings may require a hold.
For a second card, prioritize books and editions your current library lacks. The value comes from a useful second collection; two overlapping catalogs do not simply add up to twice as many books.
Get your chosen card online
Jaideepass offers Brooklyn and NYPL cards to non-residents, alongside the other libraries in this comparison. Select your library on the product page, complete checkout and receive the card number and password by email. Add that library in Libby and sign in with the delivered details.
Every card includes at least 12 months of validity and warranty coverage from delivery.
Ready to compare live options?