If you’ve tried to check out a popular eBook or audiobook from OverDrive/Libby, chances are good that you had to place a hold and wait (possibly quite a while) for a copy to become available.
Or, maybe you wish the library would provide streaming video and/or music services.
Enter Hoopla, a library service that can address both of those concerns. As a resident of Colonie, this service is now available to you!
Meet Hoopla
You may have heard of Hoopla from other libraries, you may have used it when our library had access to it during the pandemic lockdown, or you may be thinking, “Hoopla? What’s that?!” Let’s take a closer look at the Hoopla service and what it offers Colonie resident patrons.
Hoopla allows patrons to check out eBooks, audiobooks, comics, TV episodes, movies, music, and bingepasses (more on these later). Content can be enjoyed through a browser, an app (smartphones and tablets), or a channel on your TV’s streaming device (video only), such as a Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, or FireTV.
- Each patron gets a total of 3 checkouts per month. The count resets on the first of the month.
- All items are available instantly, with no wait.
- If you don’t see a title you’re looking for in the Hoopla catalog, then it is not available on Hoopla. Librarians are not able to respond to requests to purchase additional titles.
- There is a Kids mode available for safe browsing.
- Hoopla eBooks do not work with e-ink readers (like the Kindle Paperwhite)
| Format | Loan Period |
| Audiobook | 21 days |
| Comic | 21 days |
| eBook | 21 days |
| Music | 7 days |
| Bingepass | 7 days |
| Movies and TV (episodes) | 3 days |
Getting Started
To get started, grab your library card and head to www.hoopladigital.com, and click “Get Started.” Create an account login using your email address and the number on your card. The email address/password combination is what you will use to log in to Hoopla on any platform in the future.
To view per-device instructions, please use one of the links below:
- iOS (Apple phones/tablets)
- Android
- Kindle Fire
- Streaming on TV
Can’t guarantee an internet connection? If you are using the Hoopla app, you can download items you have checked out from their “details” pages to ensure an uninterrupted experience.
What’s a Bingepass?
A bingepass offers access to many items for a single checkout. For example, the Hoopla Magazines bingepass lets you read as many magazines as you’d like during the seven days of your loan period. Another popular bingepass is Hallmark Movies Now. See a list of all current bingepasses
Getting Support
While Hoopla can be incredibly easy to use, you may have more questions or something unexpected might happen with your app or checked-out items. First, try to find your answer from the Hoopla help page. If you don’t find your answer, use these instructions to contact Hoopla support.
Please note that the only support library staff can offer (beyond how to use the service) is to check to see if you have already created an account and to assist with a password change.
Summary
In addition to OverDrive/Libby, Colonie library patrons now have access to more digital content, in more formats, through Hoopla. For more information about digital content offered by the library, head to our digital collections page. We also offer newspapers and other digital content on our research page.
