My Calibre - streaming quick guide
How to use Calibre's audiobook streaming service
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Navigating the home page
When you visit my.calibre.org.uk you’ll be able to start searching for audiobook titles right away.
If you're already a member, log in by clicking on the
'Log In' button in the top right corner of the page.
Log in to your account
The login page allows you to access your account and start playing books.
Log in with your email address and password (which is currently your surname). You can also log in with your membership number.
See page 16 for how to change your password – you will need to be logged in to do this.
My Calibre dashboard
After you’ve logged in, the My Calibre dashboard will be displayed. This is where any audiobooks you have checked out on My Calibre will appear.
You can play your books, view your history and create reviews from here.
A maximum of 4 titles can be borrowed at a time. If you previously used our old streaming site, Play Calibre, any books or history won't be available to view on My Calibre.
Browsing our collection
You can search our collection for books in one of three main ways:
Latest Releases
This page displays the audiobooks released that month – scroll right or click the arrows to browse.
Categories
You can also browse our collection by category with our 70 fiction and non-fiction categories to choose from.
Authors
Or you can find an author and see a list of all their audiobooks we have in the collection.
Searching for audiobooks
You can also search for audiobooks by using the search function in the top navigation bar. Click the magnifying glass to get started.
You can search by author, narrator, book number, or the subject matter. It will display a list of results for you to choose from. Click on the book title to get more information, listen to a sample, or add the book directly to your list.
Audiobook information
When you find an audiobook that appeals to you, click on the title or cover to get more information, including the synopsis, length, and the narrator’s name.
You can also see more titles by the author, when you click on their name, as well as listen to a sample or add the book to your playlist.
Adding a title to your list
To add a title to your playlist, just click on the “Add to playlist” button:
This will add the book to your playlist. You can click on it again to take you to your dashboard and begin listening:
You can start listening to the audiobook straight away or you can search for more books.
You can also add a title to your postal list if you listen to audiobooks via USB sticks.
Listening to your audiobooks
At any time, you can listen to one of your chosen titles by clicking on the user icon in the top right corner of the screen and selecting 'Dashboard'.
Alternatively, you can click on the My Calibre logo in the top left-hand corner of the page to go straight to your dashboard.
From here you can find the books you have borrowed. You can then start the book by clicking on the cover (which turns into a play button) or clicking on the title. It will also display how many days are left before it is due.
Playing an audiobook
Here is an explanation of the player and its controls:
The player window contains the audiobook cover art, title and author alongside a range of buttons. On the far left is a 'skip back a track' button symbolised by two arrows. Next is a 'go back 30 seconds' button. In the middle is the 'play/pause' button. On the right hand side, there are 'go forward 30 seconds' and 'skip forward a track' buttons.
You can adjust the volume of your audiobook by sliding the bar with the speaker icon. You can also adjust the narration speed using the minus and plus buttons to slow down or speed up respectively.
The player automatically bookmarks the track you are on. You can pause at any time and log out if you need to or you can leave yourself logged in. When you return, the audio will be where you left it.
Simple Player
You can also select a plainer version of the player by toggling the Simple player button in your settings.
Click on your account icon in the top right corner, select ‘Settings’ and check the ‘Simple player’ box under the ‘Player’ heading.
Returning an audiobook
Once you’ve finished listening to a book, you can return it by selecting the 'Return' button.
This will then appear in the My History section on your dashboard, where you’ll be able to see your previously borrowed titles and when they were returned.
Adding a review
If you’d like to leave a review before you return the book, you can do so by clicking on the star rating for the book on your dashboard.
You can also leave a written review as well as or instead of a star rating. Click on “Leave a review” and fill in the box.
You can also change how your reviewer’s name is displayed by clicking on the drop-down menu next to it. You can choose to display your full name, initials or just anonymously as a Calibre Member.
Settings
To view your account information, click on the profile icon and select 'Settings'.
Please get in touch with our Membership Services team if you need to update your address. You can contact them on:
Email: Membership.services@calibre.org.uk
Phone: 01296 432339
Changing your password
Within the settings, you will also be able to change your password. Type in your new password and you'll receive a confirmation email to say your password has been changed successfully. There's also a 'forgot password' option. If you don't have an email address, please conact our Membership Services team.
Any questions?
If you have any questions or require further help, please contact Membership Services:
membershipservices@calibre.org.uk
01296 432339
You can also send feedback or report bugs by clicking on the bug icon in the bottom right of the screen.
Last updated 1 September 2023