The Thunder Bay Public Library has embarked on a technological enhancement to its digital collection aimed at giving patrons an improved user experience while being a more cost-efficient use of the library’s budget.
Ruth Hamlin-Douglas, the library’s head librarian, said that since mid-March, their staff have been transitioning its digital collections, which include eBooks, audiobooks, eNews, eMagazines and eComics, as well as streaming video and music, from existing platforms to Hoopla.
The Hoopla service offers these collections in a single spot and integrates with the library’s entire catalogue.
“Our existing licences have now been transferred,” Hamlin-Douglas said.
“Patrons can search our entire collection — physical and digital — using our website.”
She added that the library is now moving into the next phase of responding to patron suggestions for expanding its digital collections.
The consolidation has resulted in cost savings on the platform fees the library has been paying to use each different service, and Hamlin-Douglas says the difference can now be invested into digital licences instead.
“In 2020, when everything locked down due to COVID, we removed our CD collection, and we haven’t had popular music available at the library since then,” she said.
“Hoopla is a one-stop shop for books, audio books, music, movies, television, comics, and magazines, and it includes both popular and classical music under that music umbrella. You’ve got one place to go for everything.”
Hoopla Digital is available for free to everyone with a full-service Thunder Bay Public Library card in good standing.
“Using your phone, tablet or computer, . . . you can start at our website, www.tbpl.ca, where you’ll see the banner across the top of our page directing people to Hoopla,” she said. “You will download the Hoopla app by visiting hoopladigital.com, which is linked on our page. You have to put in your library card number and PIN that verifies that you are a member of Thunder Bay Public Library in good standing, and then it’s going to prompt you to put in your email address and a password. From then on, you’ll use your email address and password.”
Hamlin-Douglas said there’s no cost to the patron because the library has budgeted and set price caps on certain types of items to work within its budget.
Once registered, patrons can choose materials from either the Flex or Instant collections.
With the Instant borrow system, each patron receives up to five Instant borrows per month with no waiting, no holds and you can borrow it immediately.
Instant items include movies, TV shows, music, comics, magazines, books and audiobooks — except the newest releases — and BingePasses.
The Flex borrow system functions similarly to cloudLibrary where available items can either be checked out or placed on hold if they’re currently in use. Hamlin-Douglas says this is where the newest and hottest releases are found.
“You can have up to five Flex items checked out at a time, with no monthly limit,” she said, adding that returning a Flex item frees up space to borrow another.
“You can place up to 10 holds on Flex items, which are exclusively for books and audiobooks.”
