Dear Friends,
A quick note about Hoopla this week.
We are always excited to knock down barriers to reading and encourage readers of all stripes by offering as wide an array of formats as possible. Hoopla Digital Lending Service is one of our online “e” and audiobook/emovie/emusic lending services, is free to our patrons, and can be accessed by downloading the Hoopla app and registering with your Skidompha library card.
Hoopla is great for those times when carrying a traditional book may not be convenient. I listen to Hoopla Audiobooks when I go for my walk after work, and it is so much more convenient to load a half a dozen books on my phone when I’m traveling than to carry the actual books. We have seen growth in use and popularity year-on-year, and April was its most popular month yet.
Hoopla, and other digital lending platforms, are works-in-progress for libraries, with many different content licensing and ownership models. A physical item we purchase to put on our shelves is a one-time expense; digital lending platforms closely resemble the way you check out a physical item from a library, so it’s easy to think we ‘own’ those digital items, too. Instead, Hoopla’s model means we pay for each checkout. Imagine how often a super popular new bestseller is borrowed, and you can see how those fees add up!
“We’re committed to keeping Hoopla free and accessible, and we would love your help with this. Becoming a monthly donor to Skidompha, in much the same way that you would subscribe to any number of streaming services, helps us keep pace with Hoopla’s popularity and expands our ability to offer so many more services and programs. If you’re inspired to do some spring cleaning of your subscription services and find one or two you no longer use much, we would be so honored if you’d become a subscriber to Skidompha!”
Our Spring Appeal is still out there and we have a lofty, bold goal of reaching $25,000. Last I checked we were about 30% there. Please consider helping us meet that goal so we may continue to serve the community and offer the services and support we do.
Be well,
Matthew
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library