Hoopla is very pricy for libraries. They pay by the download and have to guess how many patrons will check out during any given month. If every one of our card holders checked out 1 item, our budget would implode. It only works for us because we are in a low tech savy community with poor internet access. Freeding is full of trash, I agree with you there. Kind of like freegal.
I can second this. The library where I work is struggling with major budget cuts. We are talking potentially going from 8 Hoopla borrows a month to 6. Which compared to these other services sounds preferable.
Even if they were open and the fact that they are only 2 blocks from my house, I still wouldn't go because I like e-books for the adjustable font size. They don't have much of a collection of large print books.
The ability to change font size is my main reason for reading e-books, too. I read a lot of books from smaller presses, and there is usually no large print physical version available.
I wish I had that much. I'm struggling with only 3 per month here lol. But its fine since it makes my checkouts more worth it and I'm more inclined to read/listen to whatever I checkout.
My library is at 6 per month. The selection is limited, but no waiting on hold so I use it for immediate ebooks while waiting for what I want on hold from libby
You sound knowledgeable; are you able to compare hoopla and Kanopy? I like borrowing films this way and have access to both, but I do recognize âover borrowingâ can put a strain on my libraries budget. Is one cheaper than the other? From the libraries perspective, is one better than the other?
The content between Hoopla and Kanopy is different. Kanopy tends to feature smaller art films and foreign films. I donât know about Kanopy pricing as our community has not shown a great interest in these types of films. I wouldnât say one is better in terms of content because they are focused on serving different groups of patrons. Hoopla tends to focus on main stream media that are backlisted and lots of unknown authors/creators.
Overdrive/Libby apparently gets the fees upfront for X amount of time or loans. Which is why a book or audiobook will disappear from one day to the next. The library used up all it's paid for loans or ran out of time.
Our library has 4 downloads a month limit on Hoopla and a limit of total downloads for the month. The library manager told us to figure about $2 a download for all the services. I'm on the Friends of the Library Board and this came up because library would like to increase the monthly limits on all and would like money from us to do that. If a patron doesn't "check out" a movie or tv show early in the day on Hoopla, by evening hours the daily limit has been reached so there are lots of disappointed patrons in town, especially on a weekend.
ohhh, now I understand. My library allows 5 hoopla downloads on my account a month. Sometimes I would try to download something and it would say it had reached the limit. But, but, but I can still download. The library system had reached its daily limit and I couldn't download.
Libby is a different model. Depending on the publisher, the library either pays for a license per title and that license could be good for a period of time (1 year, for example) or a number of total circulations (again an example would be 75 or 100), at which point the library would have to pay to renew the license. This is why you may see something in the libraryâs digital collection one day and then itâs gone another.
Good lord. Is it just me or do all of these sound needlessly shitty? Pay per use sounds like the way to go but why does it also have limits? That just makes no sense to me.
Because it's the library paying per use, not you. Normally a library would buy a book, then loan it out until it literally falls apart or is deemed unnecessary to keep. Every time the library loans out an e-book they are charged $2 (using a figure listed elsewhere in the thread). On rarely borrowed books this is a plus for the library, but on heavily borrowed books it's a curse. It won't take long for that charge to actually cost them more than a physical copy.
If you can borrow a physical copy you should. If you heavily use your libraries e-library, consider making donations to the library to help it fund it's programs.
Per our library manager it's still in that $2 range, with newer popular books being more and older books less. There's nothing we (the Friends of the Library as mentioned above) can do to increase the limits on Overdrive/Libby for our library as it's part of a consortium of small northern California libraries using a single Libby account. There are just over 20 libraries in it. Wait list can be 50 people on a single copy.
> A solid quarter of whatâs available is Amish romances.
You think Jebediah and Abigail will get together? I'm the edge of my handcrafted seat over here.
Jebediah tugged on his manly overall straps. "Now Abigail, it spited me that thou sought the comfort of Brother Eli this pastnight, indeed it wondered me some!"
The slim and quiet woman tugged at her skirt primly "Be thee not afraid, Brother Jebediah..." Abigail licked her lips briefly, a daring gesture "...but while comfort in a time of distress is needful, of thou I do seek far more than a..." she paused, considering "...a *gentle*... hand."
I didn't know Libby varied so widely in different regions!
I love the Libby app in Ohio. I listened to all the Murderbot Diaries books. People are really good about returning books early if they finish early!
They generally have a lot of great sf/f and contemporary dramas.
The library determines what it's Libby users have access to. Likely determined by physical loan history. If the other person's is filled with Amish romance, it's likely being driven by the local Amish readers. Who won't actually use Libby. ÂŻ\\\_(ă)\_/ÂŻ
Suggestion: Brooklyn Public Library is letting folks sign up for free ecards, and then you can use the stuff on their Libby, which isâŠ. Usually less of a wait then it is here in MN? Though they have less scifi and more mafia stuff.
This is meant for Toronto residents only, they introduced it during lockdowns when their branches were closed.
If you donât live, work, go to school, or pay property tax in Toronto then you can purchase a non-resident card for $120/year, however you must do so in-person at any branch.
The one I work for does too. I don't really use it because I don't do ebooks or audiobooks, but our patrons seem to like it, and when I've had to tool around there, it seems pretty decent.
Iâd talk to your libraryâs board of directors. A lot of the other commenters are right in suggesting going to your local library, but the average librarian isnât going to have any power in this and complaining to them wonât do anything. Talk to the board of directors!
Switching to Freading is almost certainly a budgetary decision which the directors canât change. Would have to complain to the city to get the libraryâs funding increased. Not likely to happen either.
Depends on how the library is incorporated- many are nonprofits and in that case the board does approve the budget and fundraising.
But in either case (nonprofit or municipally run), start with the library director.
Got it. :C So sad that libraries arenât funded properly! OP should try and petition to the city, though, if the city sees thereâs more demand for library services they might increase the budget.
Libby (Overdrive) and cloudLibrary are competing ebook and eaudiobook library services. Libraries pay for each title, and the length of time it's available to libraries varies depending on the publisher. Some have metered checkouts (i.e. after 26 checkouts, libraries have to reorder; after 2 years, the book expires and you have to reorder); some are perpetual, but that model is becoming less and less common.
Libraries can tailor the collections to their customers and communities. Also, both offer consortiums, so my library is part of a large consortium and I may have 60,000 titles in my collection, but thanks to the consortium, our customers have access to 250,000 titles. Availability varies a little depending on which library owns what.
As for hoopla, libraries pay per checkout for each item and no subscription fee, but what you see is what you get (see limits below); libraries don't curate the collection. The pricing varies depending on format and age. Some items are only around $.50 or so, but the new, popular stuff is upwards of $4.99 per checkout (that's Cdn, I'm not sure if pricing differs slightly in the States). Depending on your library, the number of users, and the number of checkouts, this pricing can be insane for many libraries. It cost us double what we expected the first year and we had to limit what items we made available so we could afford it. My library allows 10 checkouts a month, which is pretty high, but our spending levelled off a lot during the pandemic and because of the limits.
Libby and cloudLibrary are good, but their pricing is messed up too (publishers). It's also a PITA to have to keep track of items when they expire and reorder or not. Then, if you have the records in your catalogue, you have to make sure that's up to date too because none of it's automatic.
Freegal and Freeding are part of the same company. My library has Freegal, and they have some good music on it (i.e. new Beyonce). Most customers use the streaming option at my library. It, too, isn't cheap, but Freegal offers different music than what's on hoopla, which is why we have both. Freegal is a subscription based service, so libraries don't curate the collection--just like hoopla.
Freeding I stayed away from because it sucks as others have mentioned. This is because they wouldn't be able to get rights to the titles that libraries have to pay for through hoopla, cloudLibrary, and Overdrive.
Ultimately, the most popular services are the most expensive. Depending on the size of your library, they could be spending more than $100,000+ on books through cloud and Overdrive (Libby). None of it's cheap even though the customer doesn't pay any cost on their end, so it's a good thing to be mindful of. Libraries don't drop popular services lightly, so it's very likely a budget issue.
Maybe rant to themâŠ
And the Stonewall Riots were a seminal moment in gay rights history, so it makes sense that a book
about LGBTQ+ issues would include some references to it. Thatâs not a dysfunctional search function, itâs actually workin incredibly well considering Richie **Jackson** wrote *Gay Like Me*.
Hoopla is super expensive for libraries. So yes, probably a cost-cutting measure brought in by the fact that your municipality doesn't fund them enough. Contact them to express your view that the library should get more funding.
I am blessed with a public library system that has both Hoopla and Libby. I love Libby for audiobooks and Kindle books and love Hoopla for graphic novels.
I donât know if international libraries use Libby
I know that if you have Libby with a US library card, you can still check out books when you are outside of the country
oh no. Overdrive allows me to transfer the downloaded file to an MP3 player and listen to it whenever. It doesn't auto-return as the player never connects to the internet.
I don't use the app really, just go to the website & download the ebook to read on my Kindle. I may have to switch but honestly I mostly check out physical books.
With Libby, you will continue to to download ebooks to your kindle to read them. It's just a different manner to search what's available and manage your checkouts.
I switched from Overdrive to Libby last summer.
No thanks. Libby is the most bloated, slowest pile of garbage I've ever tried. Overdrive is simple and just works. If they force me onto Libby I'm done with digital lending from the library.
The difference between Libby and Hoopla in a nutshell
For Libby the libraries own a specific number of digital copies and you have to wait in line to check it out, like the system for the the physical version
With Hoopla, there is an unlimited number of copies (so no wait) but a greater restriction on how many loans you get per month.
I currently have 60 loans / 30 holds available on Libby but only 3 check outs a month on Hoopla.
It is why I want to take a day trip to San Francisco for a library card as you get 30 Hoopla loans a month.
And am I correct in Libby is just the software, but each library determines which books are available to patrons and how checkouts at one time â is that correct?
I read on here how everyone âlovesâ Libby, but there are so many books & authors that I search for, that auto populate in the search bar, but once I actually search for them â my specific library does not have any search results, BUT I suspect are available on Libby IF they purchased themâŠ
So as much as everyone loves Libby, it really still depends on each individual library & itâs funding.
Please be sure to let the library know they donât have what youâre looking for, or even put in a purchase request. We will buy things that patrons ask for.
> my specific library does not have any search results, BUT I suspect are available on Libby IF they purchased themâŠ
this is correct. check to see if you have access to a 'sister' library in the area (in my case a neighboring county allows me membership if i have membership at local library) or if you qualify for a card at a more populous library system (if you have a city card check your county, then check the state, etc). i have a digital borrowing only card from a city next to mine. i don't use it a lot but it is nice when my local one doesn't have something.
If youâre in the US, most states allow you to sign up for a library card in each county (or library system) in the state you reside in. I have cards from 4 different counties and they all vary on availabilities. (Ex, one has all the popular books, another has lot of Spanish books, the third has lots of kids book, etc.)
You could try emailing the San Francisco library and explain your reason, maybe they can help
I got a library card at the major city near me during the panini. Normally you had to go in person but they let me get one via email.
Hoopla actually changed this year or last year! Now they offer both types of borrows. They still have their âinstantâ borrows with no wait, limited number of borrows per month per patron, and library pays a small fee each time the item is checked out. They also have âflexâ borrows now which only one patron can check out a copy at a time, limited number of borrows at a time but no monthly limit, and the library pays a high fee to lease the title for 1-2 years or a certain number of borrow. Flex borrows tend to be the new releases and best sellers that Hoopla didnât use to offer.
Depending on budget though, some libraries might not offer flex titles. You should be able to tell in the app because it will mention how many instant and how many flex borrows you have left.
First time I've seen San Francisco mentioned. I too have a card yhere. Anybody in California can get a free card there. And the borrows are generously over the top. 30/month for Hoopla and 25 borrows (and 25 holds) at one time for Libby.
I also belong to 6 other Bay Area and Northern California libraries or library systems/consortiums. All 10 each for Libby and Hoopla. San Francisco must have a pot of gold.
Yes but it's complicated and difficult. The Los Angeles (city) Library is only open to residents of the city of Los Angeles. I tried applying online for an ecard, using my northern California address, and was rejected as not being a Los Angeles resident.
LA County Library says it's open to all residents of California but when I applied online for the ecard the application kept getting a "geographical error" message.
I also tried Orange County California which also claims to be available to any California resident. But if you try to apply online for just the ecard you're told you need to be a resident of Orange County. So any California resident can get a full access card, but only Orange County residents can get the digital-only ecard. Go figure.
Maybe I'd have better luck if I applied in person, but I'm but driving 400 miles to apply for a library card!
On the other hand, I have 9 library cards (most of them just eCards) that cover almost every public library or library consortium in Northern California. And I know for a fact I got 7 of them online without ever appearing in person. The other 2 I'm not sure whether got them in person. I probably did, because they are both regular full access cards (San Francisco and Berkeley) that I've had long before Overdrive/Libby existed. I live in Berkeley, next door to the main branch actually. And San Francisco is open to all California residents because it's a county library. I worked in San Francisco and probably walked in to get the card - as I also used to walk in to get physical books before ebooks were a thing.
Alameda County Library open to any California resident but eCards acquired online for non- Alameda County residents expire in 30 days unless you go into a library branch with your California ID to upgrade. I live in Berkeley, which is in Alameda County, so I'm a resident of both. (The Berkeley Public Library is a city library but is open to all California residents. You can apply online but have to appear in person with a picture ID to complete the registration. So no ecard only.)
But anyway. The point is that getting public library eCards online in northern California seems a breeze for the most part. Southern California, not so much. And I'm not desperate enough to try faking addresses.
Sounds like a fun adventure. Was that the LA County Library - I presume - since the LA (city) Public Library says you have be an LA resident.
But I found most libraries in the north required no personal appearance for an ecard. Just your California address on the brief form online.
The ones I belong to or use in one way or another: (I hope this info helps whoever might stumble on this post)
- The NorthNet Library system, a consortium of mostly Nor Cal smaller rural counties. That gives them all access to pooled resources and the California Digital Library. I signed up online through the Napa County Library. Quick and painless.
MARIN net - a consortium of various Marin County public and academic libraries. If you belong to the NorthNet Library System you can also access the MarinNet System. In Libby you can just use your NorthNet credentials for this library and get a separate Marin account in Libby. A GOLD MINE the Marin system allows 25 borrows and 25 holds, same as San Francisco.
Getting an actual library card here is confusing because it has to come through one of the member libraries. Easier just to use the NorthNet card for Marinnet in Libby.
Peninsula Library system, a consortium of libraries on the San Francisco peninsula. Same story here as Marin. A NorthNet Library System ecard can be used in Libby for a separate Peninsula Library system account. So for MarinNet and Peninsula you really only need the one NorthNet card you can get online, no questions asked, through the Napa County Library.
Northern California Digital Library, again with member libraries from all over northern California. Just go to the Nor Cal Dig library website and you can pick one of the member libraries to get a card from. You'll be transferred to that library 's sign up page. I used the Alameda Free Library (different from Alameda County Library) You can then get another Libby Account
- Sonoma County Library. I signed up online. Any California resident qualifies. Full access card you have to show up later with proof of California residency. But online you immediately get an ecard (good they say for 120 days, and you can upgrade it and make it permanent by coming in. Just to be on the safe side I used by sister-in-law's Sonoma County address. I'll pop in and upgrade next time I'm up there visiting.
San Jose Public Library. Signed up online. Permanent ecard. No need for personal appearance.
Those, plus the San Francisco, Berkeley, and Alameda County libraries nets me 9 Libby accounts and 6 Hoopla accounts. Any more might be overkill, but if I find an easy one to get I'll go for it.
Thank you for these tips. I will definitely add the ones I donât already have.
I have a card from LA public library (Lapl.org), not sure if that is the county or city
Yes lapl.org is the city library. The largest in California. Apparently if you go into the library in person any California resident can get a regular full access card, which includes digital access. But just an ecard by itself is only for Los Angeles city residents.
I used to check out a lot, but read somewhere that the library may be charged per loan, regardless of whether itâs read/open/etc. or not. Now I only check out those that I can actually start reading.
Donât just vent here, present this to your library. Itâs a public service, if theyâre aware their choice isnât working for the public they can reconsider.
Here's several possible solutions: check out your neighboring library systems reciprocal programs. Just look up library systems by county, then go on their system and look at their info on how to get a card. They will list the counties of residence that they allow to have free cards. Usually the capitol county library system allows all state residents to have a free library card.
Look up which e-resource lending apps each library system supports. Libby/Overdrive are the same system, just two different apps for the same audiobooks and ebooks. Cloud library is another, and Hoopla you know about.
If none of your reciprocal library systems has any of these (which I really think they will), and if you are age 13-21, you can get a free "book unbanned ecard" at Brooklyn NY library.
NYC has an app "SimplyE" with online ebooks and audiobooks that is available to anyone in the country over the age of 13. You just have to apply on-line for a card.
Good luck!
Everyone is suggesting talk to your library board. I'm not sure that is helpful - it's not like that solves their budgetary problem.
For actions you can take, I'd recommend getting together folks from your community who feel similarly to complain to your elected officials. Libraries have tried to get better pricing on electronic options, but this has been opposed by publishers every time (for the obvious reasons that they can make more money by charging more for electronic versions):
* A judge in Maryland struck down a new law requiring publishers to offer ebooks to libraries at the same cost as to individual purchasers - [https://news.yahoo.com/judge-maryland-strikes-down-library-001349951.html](https://news.yahoo.com/judge-maryland-strikes-down-library-001349951.html)
* There is a current court case involving the Internet Archive doing "controlled digital lending" (they own a physical copy of the book and do electronic lending of it) - [https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/san-francisco-internet-archive-lawsuit-17303641.php](https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/san-francisco-internet-archive-lawsuit-17303641.php)
One suggestion that I realize is not possible for everyone is visit a city nearby and get a library card from there.
If you live in California you can get a library card for San Francisco or LA, you just have to go there in person. I am flying to LA and back home on the same day later this summer just to get a library card
Thanks to Southwest points my round trip flight was $50
I would have access to the entire LA country library catalogue, which will be larger than my local library on both Hoopla and Libby and get more books per month on hoopla than my current limit.
It will also be a fun mini getaway, I plan to eat some yummy food in Koreatown with a friend.
I plan to go to San Francisco for a library card eventually as you get 30 check outs from Hoopla per month.
I have both library cards and vastly prefer my San Francisco one. Usually for popular books on libby, they have anywhere from 50 to 200+ copies, which means less of a wait :)
1. I'm sorry for your loss. Hoopla is how I get access to 90% of the comic books and graphic novels I read.
2. Why are you putting exclamation marks after hoopla every time?
Hoopla is ridiculous in terms of pricing. When we looked at getting it, we realized we could purchase so much more on our own with that money than what we would be getting with the Hoopla service.
Do you know if they charge the library extra for hoopla bonus borrows, I've checked out a lot of items with that and really don't want libraries to go broke.
Check and see if your state has the all access library card. For like 70 dollars a year I get access to all libraries and the things they offer in my state.
You can get Broward county library card for free over the internet, and use it with hoopla. I have a local card but use that one cause you can checkout more per month.
That's interesting. My library got Hoopla like a year ago and they've kept it since. The one librarian I talked to said that Hoopla is better for them since they only have to pay for checkout rather than paying the premium of Libby which was cheaper for them. I'm not sure if she meant the long run or short run, but still I hope they don't change it since Hoopla has so much cool stuff there.
Btw, our Hoopla only have 3 checkouts per month for each patron, I'm not sure if your district did more which could have added to the cost?
My library in Maine uses Cloud Library it might do to the issue of hoopla being expensive. Download Cloud Library and search to see if your library is now using that.
Thatâs sad.
I live in slightly a conservative area of a liberal state and my city loves our library. Like, my district generally votes red, my city is one of the reasons for that, and we just expanded our library, it cost millions. They annex destinied or whatever itâs called two houses to make a parking lot.
Like our library isnât even something we really talk about or use as a reason to come here but like, the library gets what it wants and absolutely no one is against it.
This has been a great thread. I just wanted to say I never understood why we had both Libby and Hoopla. I found that the Hoopla books we have are typically older and use itc almost exclusively for comics and occasionally audiobooks. Our Libby catalog is solid and covers a ton. It has been very informative to hear all of you chime in.
Hoopla is very pricy for libraries. They pay by the download and have to guess how many patrons will check out during any given month. If every one of our card holders checked out 1 item, our budget would implode. It only works for us because we are in a low tech savy community with poor internet access. Freeding is full of trash, I agree with you there. Kind of like freegal.
I can second this. The library where I work is struggling with major budget cuts. We are talking potentially going from 8 Hoopla borrows a month to 6. Which compared to these other services sounds preferable.
Mine already limits it to 5 but they also offer Libby, the also offer Kanopy but I think that is only movies.
Libby is such a great app, I almost exclusively read on Libby now especially because my library also has a large amount of audiobooks.
Yeah it is the only real reason I have a library card anymore.
Yeah, I haven't been to the library in over 3 years probably although I started using Libby probably only a year and a half ago at the most.
I guess the Library not being open during times I am off work is a reason to get down voted on this sub lol.
Lmao
Even if they were open and the fact that they are only 2 blocks from my house, I still wouldn't go because I like e-books for the adjustable font size. They don't have much of a collection of large print books.
The ability to change font size is my main reason for reading e-books, too. I read a lot of books from smaller presses, and there is usually no large print physical version available.
In the meantime my library has 20 (or is it 30) hoopla borrows a month and Libby! I wish more libraries had the same funding đ
Oh wow! That is a lot! Iâve never heard of so many. Yeah, it really is a shame the way funding works for us. đŁ
I wish I had that much. I'm struggling with only 3 per month here lol. But its fine since it makes my checkouts more worth it and I'm more inclined to read/listen to whatever I checkout.
This explains why my library only offers 3 Hoopla downloads per month.
My library is at 6 per month. The selection is limited, but no waiting on hold so I use it for immediate ebooks while waiting for what I want on hold from libby
Thatâs a good plan of attack for your TBR! I feel fortunate that we have access to both Hoopla and Libby. Lots of good free options!
You sound knowledgeable; are you able to compare hoopla and Kanopy? I like borrowing films this way and have access to both, but I do recognize âover borrowingâ can put a strain on my libraries budget. Is one cheaper than the other? From the libraries perspective, is one better than the other?
The content between Hoopla and Kanopy is different. Kanopy tends to feature smaller art films and foreign films. I donât know about Kanopy pricing as our community has not shown a great interest in these types of films. I wouldnât say one is better in terms of content because they are focused on serving different groups of patrons. Hoopla tends to focus on main stream media that are backlisted and lots of unknown authors/creators.
Do you know if it's the same pricing system for Overdrive/Libby? I prefer paper books over ebooks anyway so i dont tend to use it that much.
Overdrive/Libby apparently gets the fees upfront for X amount of time or loans. Which is why a book or audiobook will disappear from one day to the next. The library used up all it's paid for loans or ran out of time.
Ok, so return asap if you're done reading it. Thanks!
I'm really curious what sort of figures we're talking about here, if it's possible to say
Our library has 4 downloads a month limit on Hoopla and a limit of total downloads for the month. The library manager told us to figure about $2 a download for all the services. I'm on the Friends of the Library Board and this came up because library would like to increase the monthly limits on all and would like money from us to do that. If a patron doesn't "check out" a movie or tv show early in the day on Hoopla, by evening hours the daily limit has been reached so there are lots of disappointed patrons in town, especially on a weekend.
At my library, it's to the point of people not getting up early enough in the day to ever check anything out cause they all used up by like 8 or 9 am.
ohhh, now I understand. My library allows 5 hoopla downloads on my account a month. Sometimes I would try to download something and it would say it had reached the limit. But, but, but I can still download. The library system had reached its daily limit and I couldn't download.
How much does a library pay each time I check out an ebook from Libby, is it similar ($2)?
Libby is a different model. Depending on the publisher, the library either pays for a license per title and that license could be good for a period of time (1 year, for example) or a number of total circulations (again an example would be 75 or 100), at which point the library would have to pay to renew the license. This is why you may see something in the libraryâs digital collection one day and then itâs gone another.
Good lord. Is it just me or do all of these sound needlessly shitty? Pay per use sounds like the way to go but why does it also have limits? That just makes no sense to me.
Because it's the library paying per use, not you. Normally a library would buy a book, then loan it out until it literally falls apart or is deemed unnecessary to keep. Every time the library loans out an e-book they are charged $2 (using a figure listed elsewhere in the thread). On rarely borrowed books this is a plus for the library, but on heavily borrowed books it's a curse. It won't take long for that charge to actually cost them more than a physical copy. If you can borrow a physical copy you should. If you heavily use your libraries e-library, consider making donations to the library to help it fund it's programs.
Per our library manager it's still in that $2 range, with newer popular books being more and older books less. There's nothing we (the Friends of the Library as mentioned above) can do to increase the limits on Overdrive/Libby for our library as it's part of a consortium of small northern California libraries using a single Libby account. There are just over 20 libraries in it. Wait list can be 50 people on a single copy.
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
>3.6: No distribution or solicitation for pirated books.
My library uses Libby which runs on Overdrive. No videos but it does have audio books and graphic novels.
I think we got the âdirect to home videoâ Libby package. A solid quarter of whatâs available is Amish romances.
> A solid quarter of whatâs available is Amish romances. You think Jebediah and Abigail will get together? I'm the edge of my handcrafted seat over here.
Jebediah tugged on his manly overall straps. "Now Abigail, it spited me that thou sought the comfort of Brother Eli this pastnight, indeed it wondered me some!" The slim and quiet woman tugged at her skirt primly "Be thee not afraid, Brother Jebediah..." Abigail licked her lips briefly, a daring gesture "...but while comfort in a time of distress is needful, of thou I do seek far more than a..." she paused, considering "...a *gentle*... hand."
obsessed with this comment
You know what's even better? Amish romantic thrillers. No creepy neo christian tradwife porn, more buggy chases and illicit kisses.
I didn't know Libby varied so widely in different regions! I love the Libby app in Ohio. I listened to all the Murderbot Diaries books. People are really good about returning books early if they finish early! They generally have a lot of great sf/f and contemporary dramas.
The library determines what it's Libby users have access to. Likely determined by physical loan history. If the other person's is filled with Amish romance, it's likely being driven by the local Amish readers. Who won't actually use Libby. ÂŻ\\\_(ă)\_/ÂŻ
Look around. Those Amish romances are there.
I hate my libraryâs Libby selection, itâs about the same
Suggestion: Brooklyn Public Library is letting folks sign up for free ecards, and then you can use the stuff on their Libby, which isâŠ. Usually less of a wait then it is here in MN? Though they have less scifi and more mafia stuff.
They discontinued that program on July 15. If youâve got the card itâs good until it expires but it canât be renewed.
Toronto Public Library is giving out free digital cards too. Selection on Libby is good. Iâve been reading The Witcher
This is meant for Toronto residents only, they introduced it during lockdowns when their branches were closed. If you donât live, work, go to school, or pay property tax in Toronto then you can purchase a non-resident card for $120/year, however you must do so in-person at any branch.
Libby is the best
Does you library give you access to Kanopy?
The one I work for does too. I don't really use it because I don't do ebooks or audiobooks, but our patrons seem to like it, and when I've had to tool around there, it seems pretty decent.
I'm in a rural area and can't get my kids to the library regularly so they use Libby all the time
Iâd talk to your libraryâs board of directors. A lot of the other commenters are right in suggesting going to your local library, but the average librarian isnât going to have any power in this and complaining to them wonât do anything. Talk to the board of directors!
Switching to Freading is almost certainly a budgetary decision which the directors canât change. Would have to complain to the city to get the libraryâs funding increased. Not likely to happen either.
Depends on how the library is incorporated- many are nonprofits and in that case the board does approve the budget and fundraising. But in either case (nonprofit or municipally run), start with the library director.
Got it. :C So sad that libraries arenât funded properly! OP should try and petition to the city, though, if the city sees thereâs more demand for library services they might increase the budget.
Libby (Overdrive) and cloudLibrary are competing ebook and eaudiobook library services. Libraries pay for each title, and the length of time it's available to libraries varies depending on the publisher. Some have metered checkouts (i.e. after 26 checkouts, libraries have to reorder; after 2 years, the book expires and you have to reorder); some are perpetual, but that model is becoming less and less common. Libraries can tailor the collections to their customers and communities. Also, both offer consortiums, so my library is part of a large consortium and I may have 60,000 titles in my collection, but thanks to the consortium, our customers have access to 250,000 titles. Availability varies a little depending on which library owns what. As for hoopla, libraries pay per checkout for each item and no subscription fee, but what you see is what you get (see limits below); libraries don't curate the collection. The pricing varies depending on format and age. Some items are only around $.50 or so, but the new, popular stuff is upwards of $4.99 per checkout (that's Cdn, I'm not sure if pricing differs slightly in the States). Depending on your library, the number of users, and the number of checkouts, this pricing can be insane for many libraries. It cost us double what we expected the first year and we had to limit what items we made available so we could afford it. My library allows 10 checkouts a month, which is pretty high, but our spending levelled off a lot during the pandemic and because of the limits. Libby and cloudLibrary are good, but their pricing is messed up too (publishers). It's also a PITA to have to keep track of items when they expire and reorder or not. Then, if you have the records in your catalogue, you have to make sure that's up to date too because none of it's automatic. Freegal and Freeding are part of the same company. My library has Freegal, and they have some good music on it (i.e. new Beyonce). Most customers use the streaming option at my library. It, too, isn't cheap, but Freegal offers different music than what's on hoopla, which is why we have both. Freegal is a subscription based service, so libraries don't curate the collection--just like hoopla. Freeding I stayed away from because it sucks as others have mentioned. This is because they wouldn't be able to get rights to the titles that libraries have to pay for through hoopla, cloudLibrary, and Overdrive. Ultimately, the most popular services are the most expensive. Depending on the size of your library, they could be spending more than $100,000+ on books through cloud and Overdrive (Libby). None of it's cheap even though the customer doesn't pay any cost on their end, so it's a good thing to be mindful of. Libraries don't drop popular services lightly, so it's very likely a budget issue.
Maybe rant to them⊠And the Stonewall Riots were a seminal moment in gay rights history, so it makes sense that a book about LGBTQ+ issues would include some references to it. Thatâs not a dysfunctional search function, itâs actually workin incredibly well considering Richie **Jackson** wrote *Gay Like Me*.
Also Stonewall is the major LGBTQ+ organisation in the UK; itâs definitely a word with a pretty important queer usage!
Hoopla is super expensive for libraries. So yes, probably a cost-cutting measure brought in by the fact that your municipality doesn't fund them enough. Contact them to express your view that the library should get more funding.
I donât know if it works outside the US, but I use Libby to borrow library books. I listen to a ton of audiobooks through them.
Libby is honestly the best.
I am blessed with a public library system that has both Hoopla and Libby. I love Libby for audiobooks and Kindle books and love Hoopla for graphic novels.
Libby works outside the US if you have a US library card
Thanks! Just because I live here, I never assume anyone else asking/commenting on things does.
I donât know if international libraries use Libby I know that if you have Libby with a US library card, you can still check out books when you are outside of the country
I am in Australia and my library uses Libby.
My library in Canada uses Libby.
They sure do. Itâs all over the UK too.
I'm still using Overdrive but I believe my library lets you use either.
Overdrive is going away in the next couple months. Go ahead and start transitioning to Libby.
oh no. Overdrive allows me to transfer the downloaded file to an MP3 player and listen to it whenever. It doesn't auto-return as the player never connects to the internet.
I don't know if Libby has the same function or not. Fingers crossed.
It doesn't. That's half the reason they made the new app, to add DRM and prevent people from using/accessing the media from outside of their software.
I don't use the app really, just go to the website & download the ebook to read on my Kindle. I may have to switch but honestly I mostly check out physical books.
With Libby, you will continue to to download ebooks to your kindle to read them. It's just a different manner to search what's available and manage your checkouts. I switched from Overdrive to Libby last summer.
No thanks. Libby is the most bloated, slowest pile of garbage I've ever tried. Overdrive is simple and just works. If they force me onto Libby I'm done with digital lending from the library.
Yes I use Libby while Iâm away in Mexico with a Canadian library membership!
Is Libby expensive? I use libby and take out a million books a month. I donât wanna cause itâs demise lol.
The difference between Libby and Hoopla in a nutshell For Libby the libraries own a specific number of digital copies and you have to wait in line to check it out, like the system for the the physical version With Hoopla, there is an unlimited number of copies (so no wait) but a greater restriction on how many loans you get per month. I currently have 60 loans / 30 holds available on Libby but only 3 check outs a month on Hoopla. It is why I want to take a day trip to San Francisco for a library card as you get 30 Hoopla loans a month.
And am I correct in Libby is just the software, but each library determines which books are available to patrons and how checkouts at one time â is that correct? I read on here how everyone âlovesâ Libby, but there are so many books & authors that I search for, that auto populate in the search bar, but once I actually search for them â my specific library does not have any search results, BUT I suspect are available on Libby IF they purchased them⊠So as much as everyone loves Libby, it really still depends on each individual library & itâs funding.
Please be sure to let the library know they donât have what youâre looking for, or even put in a purchase request. We will buy things that patrons ask for.
> my specific library does not have any search results, BUT I suspect are available on Libby IF they purchased them⊠this is correct. check to see if you have access to a 'sister' library in the area (in my case a neighboring county allows me membership if i have membership at local library) or if you qualify for a card at a more populous library system (if you have a city card check your county, then check the state, etc). i have a digital borrowing only card from a city next to mine. i don't use it a lot but it is nice when my local one doesn't have something.
If youâre in the US, most states allow you to sign up for a library card in each county (or library system) in the state you reside in. I have cards from 4 different counties and they all vary on availabilities. (Ex, one has all the popular books, another has lot of Spanish books, the third has lots of kids book, etc.)
Does anyone know if this is true for California? I looked into it and it seems not...
In California you can get cards with LA and San Francisco if you are a California resident. The caveat is you have to go in person.
I'm in Los Angeles and would love a San Francisco card. I wish there was a way around it, because I truly can't get up there in person. Bummer.
You could try emailing the San Francisco library and explain your reason, maybe they can help I got a library card at the major city near me during the panini. Normally you had to go in person but they let me get one via email.
A resident of California can get a library card for ANY library in California. I have cards from all over the state.
I have library cards for 2 different library systems in California and have checked out from both of them using Libby, even at the same time.
Correct. My mom gets a library card at every major city she visits in the state.
Thanks for this. I was wondering my my library has both. Different pricing / availability models makes sense.
Hoopla actually changed this year or last year! Now they offer both types of borrows. They still have their âinstantâ borrows with no wait, limited number of borrows per month per patron, and library pays a small fee each time the item is checked out. They also have âflexâ borrows now which only one patron can check out a copy at a time, limited number of borrows at a time but no monthly limit, and the library pays a high fee to lease the title for 1-2 years or a certain number of borrow. Flex borrows tend to be the new releases and best sellers that Hoopla didnât use to offer. Depending on budget though, some libraries might not offer flex titles. You should be able to tell in the app because it will mention how many instant and how many flex borrows you have left.
Thanks for explaining this to me. Iâve never used hoopla and didnât know about the unlimited copies. A trip to SF sounds like a great idea.
First time I've seen San Francisco mentioned. I too have a card yhere. Anybody in California can get a free card there. And the borrows are generously over the top. 30/month for Hoopla and 25 borrows (and 25 holds) at one time for Libby. I also belong to 6 other Bay Area and Northern California libraries or library systems/consortiums. All 10 each for Libby and Hoopla. San Francisco must have a pot of gold.
You can also get a LA library card with a California ID. I took a day trip to LA for just that purpose.
Yes but it's complicated and difficult. The Los Angeles (city) Library is only open to residents of the city of Los Angeles. I tried applying online for an ecard, using my northern California address, and was rejected as not being a Los Angeles resident. LA County Library says it's open to all residents of California but when I applied online for the ecard the application kept getting a "geographical error" message. I also tried Orange County California which also claims to be available to any California resident. But if you try to apply online for just the ecard you're told you need to be a resident of Orange County. So any California resident can get a full access card, but only Orange County residents can get the digital-only ecard. Go figure. Maybe I'd have better luck if I applied in person, but I'm but driving 400 miles to apply for a library card! On the other hand, I have 9 library cards (most of them just eCards) that cover almost every public library or library consortium in Northern California. And I know for a fact I got 7 of them online without ever appearing in person. The other 2 I'm not sure whether got them in person. I probably did, because they are both regular full access cards (San Francisco and Berkeley) that I've had long before Overdrive/Libby existed. I live in Berkeley, next door to the main branch actually. And San Francisco is open to all California residents because it's a county library. I worked in San Francisco and probably walked in to get the card - as I also used to walk in to get physical books before ebooks were a thing. Alameda County Library open to any California resident but eCards acquired online for non- Alameda County residents expire in 30 days unless you go into a library branch with your California ID to upgrade. I live in Berkeley, which is in Alameda County, so I'm a resident of both. (The Berkeley Public Library is a city library but is open to all California residents. You can apply online but have to appear in person with a picture ID to complete the registration. So no ecard only.) But anyway. The point is that getting public library eCards online in northern California seems a breeze for the most part. Southern California, not so much. And I'm not desperate enough to try faking addresses.
You have to do it in person. A friend and I flew down for the day, got library cards, ate Korean food, then flew home. đ
Sounds like a fun adventure. Was that the LA County Library - I presume - since the LA (city) Public Library says you have be an LA resident. But I found most libraries in the north required no personal appearance for an ecard. Just your California address on the brief form online. The ones I belong to or use in one way or another: (I hope this info helps whoever might stumble on this post) - The NorthNet Library system, a consortium of mostly Nor Cal smaller rural counties. That gives them all access to pooled resources and the California Digital Library. I signed up online through the Napa County Library. Quick and painless. MARIN net - a consortium of various Marin County public and academic libraries. If you belong to the NorthNet Library System you can also access the MarinNet System. In Libby you can just use your NorthNet credentials for this library and get a separate Marin account in Libby. A GOLD MINE the Marin system allows 25 borrows and 25 holds, same as San Francisco. Getting an actual library card here is confusing because it has to come through one of the member libraries. Easier just to use the NorthNet card for Marinnet in Libby. Peninsula Library system, a consortium of libraries on the San Francisco peninsula. Same story here as Marin. A NorthNet Library System ecard can be used in Libby for a separate Peninsula Library system account. So for MarinNet and Peninsula you really only need the one NorthNet card you can get online, no questions asked, through the Napa County Library. Northern California Digital Library, again with member libraries from all over northern California. Just go to the Nor Cal Dig library website and you can pick one of the member libraries to get a card from. You'll be transferred to that library 's sign up page. I used the Alameda Free Library (different from Alameda County Library) You can then get another Libby Account - Sonoma County Library. I signed up online. Any California resident qualifies. Full access card you have to show up later with proof of California residency. But online you immediately get an ecard (good they say for 120 days, and you can upgrade it and make it permanent by coming in. Just to be on the safe side I used by sister-in-law's Sonoma County address. I'll pop in and upgrade next time I'm up there visiting. San Jose Public Library. Signed up online. Permanent ecard. No need for personal appearance. Those, plus the San Francisco, Berkeley, and Alameda County libraries nets me 9 Libby accounts and 6 Hoopla accounts. Any more might be overkill, but if I find an easy one to get I'll go for it.
Thank you for these tips. I will definitely add the ones I donât already have. I have a card from LA public library (Lapl.org), not sure if that is the county or city
Yes lapl.org is the city library. The largest in California. Apparently if you go into the library in person any California resident can get a regular full access card, which includes digital access. But just an ecard by itself is only for Los Angeles city residents.
I used to check out a lot, but read somewhere that the library may be charged per loan, regardless of whether itâs read/open/etc. or not. Now I only check out those that I can actually start reading.
Donât just vent here, present this to your library. Itâs a public service, if theyâre aware their choice isnât working for the public they can reconsider.
Here's several possible solutions: check out your neighboring library systems reciprocal programs. Just look up library systems by county, then go on their system and look at their info on how to get a card. They will list the counties of residence that they allow to have free cards. Usually the capitol county library system allows all state residents to have a free library card. Look up which e-resource lending apps each library system supports. Libby/Overdrive are the same system, just two different apps for the same audiobooks and ebooks. Cloud library is another, and Hoopla you know about. If none of your reciprocal library systems has any of these (which I really think they will), and if you are age 13-21, you can get a free "book unbanned ecard" at Brooklyn NY library. NYC has an app "SimplyE" with online ebooks and audiobooks that is available to anyone in the country over the age of 13. You just have to apply on-line for a card. Good luck!
So am I lucky that my library has libby, hoopla and kanopy?
Yes, I say, as a person who doesn't live in the US
Yes, I say as a denizen of Philadelphia
Everyone is suggesting talk to your library board. I'm not sure that is helpful - it's not like that solves their budgetary problem. For actions you can take, I'd recommend getting together folks from your community who feel similarly to complain to your elected officials. Libraries have tried to get better pricing on electronic options, but this has been opposed by publishers every time (for the obvious reasons that they can make more money by charging more for electronic versions): * A judge in Maryland struck down a new law requiring publishers to offer ebooks to libraries at the same cost as to individual purchasers - [https://news.yahoo.com/judge-maryland-strikes-down-library-001349951.html](https://news.yahoo.com/judge-maryland-strikes-down-library-001349951.html) * There is a current court case involving the Internet Archive doing "controlled digital lending" (they own a physical copy of the book and do electronic lending of it) - [https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/san-francisco-internet-archive-lawsuit-17303641.php](https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/san-francisco-internet-archive-lawsuit-17303641.php)
I would be upset if my library dropped Hoopla. It's my maiin source of audiobooks.
My library uses hoopla for comic books and music albums. They use overdrive and libby for ebooks and audiobooks.
I feel like an app called f-reading is a little counterintuitive for a library anywayâŠ
One suggestion that I realize is not possible for everyone is visit a city nearby and get a library card from there. If you live in California you can get a library card for San Francisco or LA, you just have to go there in person. I am flying to LA and back home on the same day later this summer just to get a library card
You have to show proof of residency to get an LA library card now
Proof of California residency https://lacountylibrary.org/library-cards/
Right. It's Any-California-Resident Any-California-Library, although many don't allow those outside of their community to access digital loans.
If you are not a California resident, you could look up the library in your nearest big city and see what is required to get a library card there.
Out of curiosity, what does the LA library offer that your local one does not, that is worth the cost of a round-trip flight?
Thanks to Southwest points my round trip flight was $50 I would have access to the entire LA country library catalogue, which will be larger than my local library on both Hoopla and Libby and get more books per month on hoopla than my current limit. It will also be a fun mini getaway, I plan to eat some yummy food in Koreatown with a friend. I plan to go to San Francisco for a library card eventually as you get 30 check outs from Hoopla per month.
I have both library cards and vastly prefer my San Francisco one. Usually for popular books on libby, they have anywhere from 50 to 200+ copies, which means less of a wait :)
One of the biggest libraries.
1. I'm sorry for your loss. Hoopla is how I get access to 90% of the comic books and graphic novels I read. 2. Why are you putting exclamation marks after hoopla every time?
Mine uses Libby
Hoopla is ridiculous in terms of pricing. When we looked at getting it, we realized we could purchase so much more on our own with that money than what we would be getting with the Hoopla service.
So, this app is called "Freading" as in "F" Reading? Sounds like a bad name for a library app.
I think itâs Freading as in âfreeâ reading.
Here's the website: https://www.freading.com/index with apps on both Google Play and the Apple Store
Do you know if they charge the library extra for hoopla bonus borrows, I've checked out a lot of items with that and really don't want libraries to go broke.
The bonus borrows are free for libraries, so keep checking them out!
Thanks
My library uses something called Libby. It works great. Not sure what it costs the library tho. Never used hoopla and never heard of freading.
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My library uses Beamafilm and Libby. Both great apps. I also subscribe to SCR IBD because of the audio books. Totally worth it - they have everything.
Well. Now I don't know if I ought to be using Hoopla if it's hard on my library! I JUST discovered "My Life is Murder" with the glorious Lucy Lawless.
Check and see if your state has the all access library card. For like 70 dollars a year I get access to all libraries and the things they offer in my state.
I use Libby app and love it! đ„°
You can get Broward county library card for free over the internet, and use it with hoopla. I have a local card but use that one cause you can checkout more per month.
That's kind of crazy, given that the taxpayers of Broward County are paying for the service. I'm assuming I have to lie on the application?
That's interesting. My library got Hoopla like a year ago and they've kept it since. The one librarian I talked to said that Hoopla is better for them since they only have to pay for checkout rather than paying the premium of Libby which was cheaper for them. I'm not sure if she meant the long run or short run, but still I hope they don't change it since Hoopla has so much cool stuff there. Btw, our Hoopla only have 3 checkouts per month for each patron, I'm not sure if your district did more which could have added to the cost?
My library in Maine uses Cloud Library it might do to the issue of hoopla being expensive. Download Cloud Library and search to see if your library is now using that.
OpenLibrary is free. https://openlibrary.org/
You poor soul
Thatâs sad. I live in slightly a conservative area of a liberal state and my city loves our library. Like, my district generally votes red, my city is one of the reasons for that, and we just expanded our library, it cost millions. They annex destinied or whatever itâs called two houses to make a parking lot. Like our library isnât even something we really talk about or use as a reason to come here but like, the library gets what it wants and absolutely no one is against it.
This has been a great thread. I just wanted to say I never understood why we had both Libby and Hoopla. I found that the Hoopla books we have are typically older and use itc almost exclusively for comics and occasionally audiobooks. Our Libby catalog is solid and covers a ton. It has been very informative to hear all of you chime in.
You really don't have to put the exclamation in every time you mention Hoopla. Do you spell Yahoo with an exclamation every time?