The Jefferson Public Library has recently incorporated a new service for patrons.

Library Director Jane Millard says Hoopla Digital has over 1 million titles for patrons to choose from to read, watch or listen to from a range of resources such as audio books, e-books, music, movies, and tv series, among others. She emphasizes that people can get access to the free downloadable app to their mobile device or computer with just a library card, and patrons can have up to seven items per month. Millard talks about having the similar program Bridges for patrons that has about 100,000 titles, compared to just 33,000 items available at the library, as a jumping off point that has led to Hoopla Digital.

“It was helpful to start with Bridges and to know whether our patrons wanted to read electronically. And that has been steadily increasing, and so that tells us that people want to read however and in whatever format that would like. So whatever they prefer.”  

Youth Services Librarian Bailey Mount recommends parents to get kids mode on Hoopla Digital as a way to safeguard against material that would be considered for mature audiences and adults. 

“I would highly suggest to any parents that if you do decide to opt for kids mode to be on that you create the four digit pin option and you keep it in your memory or written down somewhere. Otherwise the child is able to just toggle that feature off and still get access to everything that Hoopla Digital has to provide.” 

Mount suggests that every family member has a library card and a separate account so the seven items are not being split up to them. She adds that youth as young as three years old can have a library card. Stop into the adult or youth services departments to learn more or to sign up for a library card.