JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Anyone with a Jacksonville Public Library card can now borrow free digital movies, TV shows, audio books and music anytime and anywhere, with no holds and no late fees.

Offered through Hoopla Digital and referred to as Hoopla, the new service offers customers with mobile devices, tablets or computers free and instant access to thousands of video and audio files. Mobile device users can stream movies or music or temporarily download them for later use; computer viewing is limited to streaming.

"We are excited to be able to offer our customers the most current library technology available," Library Director Barbara Gubbin said. "With this Hoopla launch, we are moving access to information into the future and opening up a whole new world for our customers, a world that offers instant access to information, all with a hand-held device or computer, and all with only a valid library card."

Hoopla is a service designed specifically for libraries and provided by Midwest Tapes, a vendor that has provided services to libraries for more than 20 years.

How Hoopla changes customer access

The service allows for "simultaneous checkout," which means there are no limits to the number of people who can check out an item at one time. This is a big change from JPL's existing e-collection checkouts which limited the number of checkouts available for titles.

In addition, Hoopla will expand the library's content without the challenges of upgrading physical inventories; as soon as a publisher or studio makes a movie or TV show available, JPL can offer it immediately to customers.

FAQ

Q. How much time do customers have to watch movies or listen to selected music?
A. Movies and TV shows lend for three days; music for seven; and audiobooks for 21 days. Customers are able to access (view/listen to) borrowed content as often as they want during the checkout period and can return any borrowed title at any time. 

Q. Are there limits to the number of checkouts?
A. Yes. Customers are allowed 10 Hoopla checkouts per month, per library card.

Q. How many titles will JPL have?

A. At the time of launch, JPL will have 200,000 titles available (4,500 movies; more than 180,000 music albums; more than 8,000 TV show episodes and 12,000 audiobooks). New titles are added continually.

Q. What are some examples of titles?
A. There are movies for all ages, including action and adventure movies, dramas and romances, plus exercise and educational movies, as well as instructional videos aimed at homeschoolers (SAT prep, school topics like biology, math, etc.). A sample of movie titles includes: "I Don't Know How She Does It," "The King's Speech," and "Serious Moonlight." Documentaries include titles by Ken Burns, National Geographic, and favorites from the PBS series "The American Experience." Music titles include most of the Billboard Top 25, such as Elton John's "the Diving Board," and Sting's "The Last Ship." TV shows include children's favorites such as "Arthur," "Caillou," and "Bill Nye the Science Guy" to name a few.

Q. How recent are the releases?
A. Hoopla offers the most up-to-date music titles. With movies, there are some current releases, but the majority of titles are one-to-two years old. TV shows are generally three-to-five years old. 

5 steps to Hoopla

1. Download the app from the Apple App Store for iPhone 3GS and newer, iPad2 and newer, iPad Mini, and iPad Touch 4th generation and newer, or from Google Play for Android 4.0 and above. Using a computer? Visit hoopladigital.com.

2. Log in and authenticate with an email address, library card information and a password.

3. Click Browse or search for a particular title.

4. Click Borrow when you have selected a title.

5. Click Play. Mobile device users can stream or temporarily download; computer viewing is limited to streaming.

To find a quick-start guide to Hoopla, go to the JPL website and click on "E-Books and More."