Understanding Hoopla Changes

After much consideration, the library has determined the need to make additional service changes to Hoopla effective March 1. 

The changes are as follows:

•  Limit of 3 borrows per month per cardholder  

• Must have a valid HPL card 

• Collective daily borrow limit (or budget cap)  

What does this mean? 

A collective daily borrow limit means that once HPL lends enough titles out to reach the established daily spending limit, borrowing is turned off for the rest of the day for all patrons. Patrons will receive a message saying to “try again tomorrow” when that limit has been reached. The collective daily borrow limit will reset each day at midnight. 

Any daily budget that is not spent will roll over into the following day. Patrons can still borrow 3 items per month as long as the daily spending limit is not reached.  

Why make this change? 

Libraries all over the country, including several in our own system, are having to make tough decisions regarding their Hoopla service.  Over the past several years, the costs associated with Hoopla have risen significantly. Hoopla is a pay-per-use service, charging the library for each checkout. Their pricing model makes the costs unpredictable and difficult to budget. 

Creating daily caps and reducing monthly title limits allows us to control costs while continuing to offer this popular service.  

What other options does the library offer? 

HPL is committed to providing sustainable, high-quality resources and diverse collections. Patrons are encouraged to explore OverDrive’s Libby app and Kanopy, both available free with your library card. Visit hedbergpubliclibrary.org for more information. 

We appreciate your understanding as we continue to evaluate this service and work towards finding viable solutions that are also fiscally responsible. Please contact 608-758-6600 with any questions.