Quote:
Originally Posted by John F
Issybird, how much do you use Hoopla on your out of state libraries. I don't use it at all (for in state or out of state).
My library is cheap (they limit their "purchase" of overdrive ebooks due to cost) and yet they offer Hoopla, which makes me wonder how much Hoopla is actually getting used.
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My Hoopla story:
Originally my two out-of-state libraries and big city libraries at that (Boston & Philly) offered Hoopla, which I used for audiobooks. It’s a fantastic source for audiobooks of older fiction in particular, both mid-20th century popular fiction and classics. But then Boston dropped the audiobook component and FLP first cut back and then dropped it altogether. Reading the writing on the wall, in the meantime I’d asked at my local library if they’d consider offering Hoopla and was given a flat no. Far too expensive. I wasn’t entirely surprised, as this is a small town and the library is underfunded and obviously Boston & Philly had let it go for cost reasons. Then I no longer qualified for cards at Boston or FLP, but I suspect as a Covid measure, my town library decided to offer it after all. My timeline is off here; I was never Hoopla-less, but it was close.
So, coming around to your question, I don’t have Hoopla access out of state anymore, just locally. I use it quite a bit. I mentioned audiobooks. I probably average two, sometimes three a month. Another advantage of Hoopla is that it’s on demand, while timing can be tricky on OverDrive audiobooks which usually have a waitlist. And lately, I’ve started watching Father Brown, but I have to ration myself as I get six borrows a month and the audiobooks are my priority. I suppose if this started to chafe, I could get a paid card for more borrows, but I don’t have a tv habit so I don’t need a FB fix very often.
I have to hope that you’re right and that no one in my town is using it, or just enough that TPTB decide it’s worth keeping while it doesn’t break the bank. Going back to the paid out of state card issue and Hoopla as well, I think the future looks ominous. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if availability continued to dwindle. And my state OverDrive has only 14,000 ebooks and it’s all junk.
