Agatha Christie on hoopla

With Murder on the Orient Express currently going strong into its second weekend in theaters, now is a great time to remind or point out to patrons the wide selection of Agatha Christie content available on hoopla! Start with the audiobook of the original novel, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, who directs the new film and stars as Christie’s famed detective Hercule Poirot. From there, hoopla users can browse through a full collection of Christie’s mysteries on audiobook with a variety of narrators, while those who prefer the printed word can also check out her short stories and a number of other works, including her autobiography, on eBook.

The late British author (1890-1976) is the world’s bestselling novelist of all time, and her work has been translated into more than 100 languages. Murder on the Orient Express is the latest in a long line of film and TV adaptations of her work, including David Suchet’s acclaimed portrayal of Poirot and ITV’s Marple series, both of which can be borrowed from hoopla. Needless to say, mystery fans and Agatha Christie devotees will have plenty to choose from, no matter their preferred format, so be sure to point them toward hoopla today!

Paramount Pictures—now on hoopla!

Great news: As of November 1, select movies from Paramount Pictures are now available for patrons in the U.S. to check out and watch on hoopla Digital! The wide-ranging collection currently includes such popular films as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, An Inconvenient Truth, Dead Man Walking, and School of Rock. Make sure your patrons know about this great new addition to hoopla’s content lineup, available at their fingertips 24/7, with no holds and no late fees.

Titles in this collection are subject to change, so check back often to see what new movies are available!

Celebrate the Freedom to Read with hoopla

It’s no secret that libraries broaden minds. All too often, the public library is—through the wealth of material on its shelves—the only place a person might have a chance to encounter and explore viewpoints and stories of people utterly unlike themselves. For that reason, it is essential that each library should be free to choose that material themselves. Since 1982, the American Library Association has proclaimed the last week of September as Banned Books Week, with libraries across the country celebrating the right of patrons to read freely.

hoopla is a perfect tool for patrons to use for Banned Books Week and all throughout the year. Our collection development experts have put together collections of both eBooks and audiobooks, featuring a number of titles that have faced bans or challenges over the years. Patrons browsing these collections will find a number of very popular bestselling books, as well as some of the best and most classic works of all time. These books and so many others that have been challenged make the world (not to mention high school English class) a much richer place, and we owe a debt of gratitude to librarians, teachers, and others who have fought to keep them on bookshelves and in classrooms.

Also, September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. As you make your final push for your library, don’t forget to point out all the content available on hoopla to prospective new members. Along with eBooks and audiobooks (banned or otherwise), they can find a wide range of movies and television shows, full music albums, and comics and graphic novels, all available 24/7 with no holds and no late fees, from the convenience of their PCs and mobile devices.

hoopla Service Down

hoopla digital is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Patrons will be unable to access the service through either the app or the hoopladigital.com website until these issues are resolved.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Our technicians are working diligently to solve the problem and hope to have it corrected soon. Keep an eye on this post for further updates.

UPDATE: The problem has now been corrected. Patrons should be able to access the hoopla app and website with no issues.

Eisner Award-Winning Comics on hoopla

Named for late writer and artist Will Eisner, the Eisner Awards have honored each year’s best in comics and graphic novels since 1988. Last week at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the 2017 edition of the awards ceremony took place. Saga was the night’s big winner with four awards: Best Continuing Series, Best Writer (Brian K. Vaughan), and Best Penciller/Inker and Best Cover Artist (Fiona Staples). All seven volumes of Saga are available on hoopla for patrons to relive or discover for the first time.

But that’s not all. We’ve put together a collection of all this year’s Eisner Award-winning titles that are available on hoopla. Along with Saga, those titles include:

Clean Room: Best Lettering (Todd Klein)

Cry Havoc: Best Coloring (Matt Wilson)

Dark Night: Best Lettering (Todd Klein)

Jughead: Best Humor

Love Is Love: Best Anthology

Paper Girls: Best Writer (Brian K. Vaughan)

We Stand on Guard: from Eisner Award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan

The Wicked + the Divine: Best Coloring (Matt Wilson)

Even if your library has a physical comics collection, these popular titles are sure to be checked out more often than not. Make sure your comics-loving patrons know about hoopla’s extensive collection, containing these titles and much, much more, available 24/7 with no holds!

hoopla Is at SDCC!

The hoopla digital crew is in San Diego, California, for the next few days, spreading the word about hoopla to the folks at Comic-Con International. If you’re attending, make sure to stop by and see us for all the information on our incredible selection of comics and graphic novels, all available with no waiting via the hoopla digital mobile app or website.

You can find us today through Sunday at Booth #1819. The booth will be open 9:30am – 7:00pm Thursday through Saturday, and 9:30am – 5:00pm on Sunday. In addition to our own team, we’ll have some special guests stopping by:

Thursday, July 20, 1:15 – 2:15pm: DC All Access host Jason Inman (@jawiin)

Friday, July 21, 11:00am – 12:00pm: supermodel and celebrity cosplayer Alicia Marie (@AliciaMarieBODY)

Friday, July 21, 2:00 – 3:00pm: Geek History Lesson podcast co-host Ashley Robinson (@AshleyVRobinson)

Saturday, July 22, 1:30 – 2:30pm: YouTube stars 2 Broke Geeks (@2brokegeeks)

(All times PDT)

Stay tuned to our social media feeds on Facebook and Twitter for more information!

hoopla digital Inks Expanded Content Agreement with HarperCollins Publishers

Category-creating digital service for public libraries expands eBook catalog with thousands of award-winning titles from HarperCollins

HOLLAND, OH (June 22, 2017) – hoopla digital (hoopladigital.com), the category-creating digital service for public libraries, today announced a new, expanded agreement with HarperCollins Publishers to add more than 15,000 award-winning eBooks to hoopla’s dynamic collection, available July 5. With this content agreement, patrons of participating libraries will have access to the HarperCollins global English Language catalog of acclaimed authors – which includes titles from HarperCollins Christian Publishing, HarperCollins UK and Harlequin – via hoopla digital’s app and online service.

This agreement expands on a deal last year that brought HarperCollins Publishers’ entire digital audiobook backlist catalog to hoopla’s collection. The new deal adds the deep backlist works of bestselling HarperCollins authors Neil Gaiman, Louise Erdrich and Dennis Lehane to hoopla digital’s catalog of more than 600,000 movies, TV shows, music albums, eBooks, audiobooks and comics. Patrons of libraries who partner with hoopla digital can access this dynamic content anytime on their smartphones, tablets and laptops.

"We are thrilled to expand our successful partnership with HarperCollins and excited to build our eBook catalog with thousands of popular and award-winning titles from their iconic authors. On hoopla digital, these titles are available anytime, anywhere without any holds or waits," said Jeff Jankowski, co-founder and owner of hoopla digital.  “eBooks is one of our strongest growth areas with high demand from libraries and their patrons and we will continue to make a significant investment to assemble a deep offering of titles for the libraries we serve.”

hoopla now offers a catalog of eBook and audiobook titles across a broad spectrum of adult and children’s genres, including romance, thriller, literary fiction, self-help, Christian living and non-fiction content.

"HarperCollins has enjoyed the additional discovery achieved through hoopla libraries and their patrons with regard to HarperCollins audiobooks," said Adam Silverman, Senior Director, Digital Business Development. "We look forward to building on our success with this expanded agreement."

There is no waiting to borrow titles on hoopla digital since on-demand content can be enjoyed by multiple patrons simultaneously. Patrons who use hoopla digital also avoid library late fees as digital content borrowing periods simply expire without charges.

hoopla digital has partnerships with more than 1,500 public library systems across North America including Boston Public Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, Chicago Public Library, San Francisco Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library, and Edmonton Public Library.

To access eBook and audiobook titles from HarperCollins Publishers, cardholders of participating libraries can download the free hoopla digital mobile app on their Android or iOS device or visit hoopladigital.com.

About hoopla digital

hoopla digital is a category-creating service that partners with public libraries across North America to provide online and mobile access to thousands of eBooks, audiobooks, comics, movies, music, and more. With hoopla digital, patrons can borrow, instantly stream, and download dynamic content with a valid library card. All content is accessible via hoopla digital’s mobile app and www.hoopladigital.com. hoopla digital is a service of Midwest Tape – a trusted partner to public libraries for over 25 years.

For more information, please contact 800-875-2785 (US) or 866-698-2231 (Canada).

About HarperCollins Publishers

HarperCollins Publishers is the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 18 countries. With two hundred years of history and more than 120 branded imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year in 17 languages, and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles. Writing across dozens of genres, HarperCollins authors include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals and the Man Booker Prize. HarperCollins, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of News Corpand can be visited online at corporate.HC.com.

Come See Us at ALA in Chicago

The ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition is on the horizon, taking place in Chicago June 22-27. We’ve made our travel plans, and we’re looking forward to connecting with our many library partners. So come see us! You can get all the latest information on Midwest Tape, hoopla digital, and Dreamscape Media at Booth #4420. Our booth hours are as follows:

Friday, June 23:                 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Saturday, June 24            9:00am – 5:00pm

Sunday, June 25               9:00am – 5:00pm

Monday, June 26             9:00am – 2:00pm

We’ll have a few special guests making appearances at our booth as well. Stop by and have a book signed!

Sarah Beth Durst has written several novels for young adults, and burst onto the adult fantasy fiction scene in 2016 with The Queen of Blood, winner of a 2017 Alex Award from ALA/YALSA. The second book in the Queens of Renthia series, The Reluctant Queen, will be released on July 4. She will be at our booth on Saturday from 2:00 to 3:00pm.

Shea Fontana has written for the animated children’s TV show Doc McStuffins and the movie Twinkle Toes Lights Up New York, among many others. One other project she’s been involved with is DC Super Hero Girls, and her latest outing is the graphic novel Summer Olympus, featuring Wonder Woman! You’ll find her at our booth on Sunday from 10:00 to 11:00am.

Kate White is a bestselling author of mystery and thriller novels whose most recent release, The Secrets You Keep, released in March of this year. This fall she’ll release Even if It Kills Her, the first new installment in her popular Bailey Weggins mystery series in five years. She will be at our booth on Sunday afternoon from 3:30 to 4:30pm.

Dates and times for these author appearances are subject to change, so be sure to stop by our booth ahead of time to make sure they still hold. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

hoopla Is Great for Summer Reading!

With Victoria Day behind us in Canada and Memorial Day coming up in the United States, there’s no denying that summer is on its way. If the kids in your community aren’t yet out of school for the season, they will be soon.

Which means it’s time for summer reading! Libraries have offered summer reading programs since the 1890s to keep children engaged and bridge the gap between the end of the school year in summer and when it begins again in the fall. The ALA website asserts that summer reading programs help to keep kids’ skills up during their time off, encourage reluctant readers (audiobooks and comics are excellent in this area, as well), and engender reading as a lifetime habit. Some of my own fondest memories from childhood summers involve entering the cool hush of the library from the bright heat outside and wandering among the shelves, picking out a giant stack of books to take home and read.

Spending time at the library is priceless, and that’s never been more true than it is today. But if your library participates in hoopla, it makes summer reading even easier, more convenient, and more fun! Kids can now take home slightly smaller stacks of books, thanks to the great content available on hoopla. That’s also nice for road trips—no need to take a ton of physical books along when you have access to so many on a phone or tablet! They can also check out something new as soon as they’re finished with what they have, even if they’re out of town with family or when the library is closed for the night. And when it’s time for a change of pace, they can always supplement their regular reading with an audiobook or a comic or graphic novel.

Kids are attached to their devices, while their parents, teachers, and even doctors are concerned about the amount of time they spend in front of screens. It can be especially difficult to manage during the summer, when their time is less structured. Combining hoopla and summer reading is a win-win in this area as well. Kids can still use their devices as they immerse themselves in an eBook, audiobook, or comic through the hoopla app. There’s plenty of content to keep them occupied, from Sesame Street eBooks for the youngest readers through to the DC Rebirth comics series for the older crowd.

Supercharge your library’s summer reading program with hoopla digital. If you aren’t currently using hoopla, you can visit library.hoopladigital.com to learn more, or call 800.875.2785 with any questions.

hoopla for All Occasions

hoopla digital is a great tool for everyday use—an audiobook for your commute, a workout soundtrack for your trip to the gym—but it can also be the perfect way to mark a special occasion or event. Here are just a few of the ways hoopla can help with things that are going on now or coming up soon.

There are still nearly three weeks left in May, which since 1949 has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health can be a difficult subject for many people to deal with, but hoopla can help. We have collections of movies and TV shows, eBooks, and audiobooks that explore various aspects of mental health. This can be a very useful starting point for patrons who may not have anywhere else to turn.

Dating back to 2006, May has also been recognized as Jewish American Heritage Month, honoring the contributions made by those of the Jewish faith to the history and culture of the United States. To that end, we’ve put together a collection of movies that fit the bill, including classics like Yentl and Fiddler on the Roof.

Everyone knows that Mother’s Day is this weekend…right? Don’t forget about Mom! To help, hoopla has a collection of eBooks all dedicated to the joys and trials of being a mom, as well as an audiobook collection focusing on mothers and daughters. And for patrons lucky enough to be spending some time with Mom this weekend, they can check out an album or two from this selection for tunes that are the perfect companion for the perfect day.

Speaking of music, hoopla is always the go-to source for the hottest new tunes. Patrons can log in every #NewMusicFriday for all the day’s new releases. Already this month we’ve added the second album from country music powerhouse Chris Stapleton, and today sees the release of the Bob’s Burgers Music Album, an eclectic collection of whimsical songs from the hit animated TV show performed by a variety of artists.

Whatever the occasion, hoopla has something to go along with it. And the best part? Patrons can access it 24/7, with no worrying about holds. It’s always at your fingertips—literally!