Hoopla streaming service to replace Freegal single-item downloads

PORTLAND, Ore. — Jan. 7, 2014 — Multnomah County Library has made a new streaming media service available to patrons. Through the Hoopla platform, library cardholders can access 125,000 music albums, movies and television shows.

Content available through Hoopla includes new releases by major labels, studios and publishers, all available to cardholders for free and on demand. Patrons do not have to place holds or wait in a queue to access content, which is discoverable through a simple search from the library’s website. Hoopla may be accessed through a browser or on the iOS and Android platforms.

“Our patrons have told us that they want more digital content. We’re responding by providing what patrons want, when and how they want it,” said Director of Libraries Vailey Oehlke. “Making popular music and video content available with Hoopla is a natural expansion and evolution of formats from our current offerings.”

With Hoopla, library patrons can access full music albums for one week apiece and movies and other video content for a three-day period per item, with a limit of four items per month. Multnomah County Library joins nearly 50 other library systems offering Hoopla, including peers like Seattle Public Library and Los Angeles Public Library.

Streaming content from Hoopla will replace the current music-only download service Freegal, which allows patrons to download three songs per week, and does not enable discovery of content through the library’s catalog. Freegal will be discontinued at the end of January.

To get started with Hoopla, simply visit multcolib.org/ebooks-and-downloadables and start enjoying your favorite music, movies and TV shows today.