Jefferson public library patrons can now do even more with their library card with a new service – “hoopla digital”. With hoopla digital, patrons can now instantly read, watch, and listen to their choice of more than 1 million titles for free with their library card.
Content can be streamed from any computer or mobile device by downloading the hoopla digital app for iOS (Apple), Android and smart TVs, and includes audiobooks, eBooks, comics, manga, anime, music, movies, and TV series.
The hoopla digital collection includes online and mobile access to popular entertainment and educational content, such as bestselling audiobooks and eBooks, hit TV series, newly released music, and much more. With hoopla digital, patrons can borrow, instantly stream, and download dynamic content with a valid Library card. All content is accessible via hoopla digital’s mobile app and online at hoopladigital.com.
The Jefferson public library has offered a virtual library of eBooks and audiobooks called Bridges for many years. Bridges is accessed via the Libby app.
“Bridges has been very well used and allows our patrons to read in whatever format they would like. We will continue to provide the Bridges virtual library, and are pleased to add hoopla digital to our collection so that our patrons will have many more titles and resources to choose from,” said library director Jane Millard.
An increase in electronic book usage – coupled with an increase in patron requests for a new eBook service – led to the library adding hoopla. With more than 8,000 electronic books being checked out in 2023, it was soon clear that there was a greater need for digital services.
“Our circulation data from the last three years shows a 10 percent growth in virtual checkouts for books, audiobooks, and magazines via the Bridges/Libby service,” said library administrative assistant Sarah Roeder. “Expanding our collection virtually with hoopla is in direct response to that demand.”
Patrons who sign up for hoopla will be able to borrow items instantly, with no wait or holds for titles. eBooks, audiobooks, and comics can be borrowed for 21 days. Movies and TV shows can be borrowed for three days and music for seven days. Items are automatically returned when the loan period ends. There are no late fees or fees for lost items.
“Each individual can borrow up to seven items per calendar month from hoopla. Items can be renewed, and each renewal counts toward the limit of seven checkouts,” explained Millard.
Additional features for hoopla include:
Binge Pass – Stream entire collections for seven days using just one “borrow”. Items that can be borrowed on a “Binge Pass” include magazines, craft and cooking classes, exercise videos, Hallmark movies, guitar lessons, Highlights for children, and much more.
Favorites – Save items to a list of “favorites” so you don’t lose track of what you want to access in the future, similar to a GoodReads “Want to Read” shelf.
Kid’s Mode – Limit access to recommended titles for children ages 12 and under with this setting. Youth services librarian Bailey Mount recommended that parents set up the feature with the four-digit pin option.
“It’s an additional security feature,” Mount explained. “It ensures, for example, that your kindergartener can’t accidentally toggle it off and have access to titles that are not age and level-appropriate.”
Patrons are able to get a Jefferson public library card when they are 3 years old. Mount encouraged families to have one account per library card user in the household.
“After all, you don’t want to share seven borrows a month with your spouse and your children,” she said. “hoopla has a variety of titles for a variety of ages, and I really recommend that multi-child households take advantage of that.”
Multiple Languages – hoopla titles are also available in multiple languages through the “Advanced Search” option. Scroll down to “Languages” and select the language you want including Spanish, German, Russian, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Irish, Japanese and more – over 120 languages.
This feature reintroduces digital language-learning to the library, a service that was previously underutilized but is experiencing a renewed patron interest.
“You can read, watch or listen in different languages, or you can learn to speak a new language with hoopla.” said Mount. “We’re experiencing an increase in English Second-Language individuals in our community, and we’re excited to be able to offer them titles in their own languages.”
“My family heritage is Norwegian,” added Millard. “Just for fun, I searched for anything Norwegian on hoopla, and came up with 419 results. There are audiobooks by Norwegian authors, cookbooks, folktales, travel guides, how to speak Norwegian, and music. I listened to Christmas music from Norway while I was doing my holiday baking this year. I even spied a couple of resources that might help me in my family history research.”
Offline reading – Patrons using hoopla on their phone or tablet can download titles for offline reading.
Patrons will need to set up a hoopla digital account using their library card. Librarians will be available during open library hours to help patrons set up hoopla accounts and answer any questions about the new service. Patrons are encouraged to bring their phone or tablet.
“We expect the number of items borrowed electronically to increase with this new service, and encourage anyone who does not have a library card to come in and sign up so they can start using hoopla,” said Millard.
Anyone who uses hoopla with their Jefferson public library card from January through April will also be entered in a prize drawing for a new tablet. Millard hopes that the winner of the new tablet will download hoopla as their first app – and keeps reading, watching, and listening to the tens of thousands of titles that this new service has to offer.
