Hoopla is a downloading/streaming service for books, audiobooks, comics, graphic novels, TV shows, music, and movies.  There is no cost to patrons of the Andover Public Library and the WA Bachelder Library. The libraries pay into our Hoopla account, using funds we recently received from ARPA, and whenever a patron borrows something, the charge is deducted from our account.  

This is an experiment for us, so we are learning as we go. If this is a popular program, we will work on making Hoopla a part of our regular “collection.”

How does Hoopla work? Go to HooplaDigital.com and click on the blue “Get Started Today” button.  To set up an account, you use your email as your username and come up with a password. 

You will then need to find your library.  You will not find us in the scroll-down list of nearby libraries; you will need to type “Andover Public Libraries.” Then you’ll need to enter your library card number. (Please contact us if you’ve forgotten your card number). Then you can start using Hoopla Digital.

Once you sign up for Hoopla you will receive an email from them with more instructions on how to use the service. (If you don’t get it, check your spam folder.) There is a video at vimeo.com/500469522 to help you set up Hoopla.

A few things to keep in mind:

You will need to download the Hoopla app onto your smartphone or tablet. Each patron may borrow up to four items a month. We can adjust this as needed as we see how many patrons are using this service.  If you currently have one card for the entire family, you might want to get individual cards for each member of the family, so you can borrow more.  

We are part of the Instant Borrow Program. This means that these titles are always available and can be borrowed anytime. Titles are downloaded to tablets or smartphones; they are streamed live to a laptop or desktop. 

Music is loaned for seven days, books and comics for 21 days, and TV shows and movies for three days.

Four times a year Hoopla has a “Bonus Borrow” month, usually in February, May, August, and November.  This means that you can borrow an unlimited number of titles in certain categories with no charge to the Andover Libraries. During those months you will see a “Bonus Borrow” button on their website; click on the button to see what is available.

We encourage you to create a Hoopla account, explore the site, and use it. Please take advantage of this new opportunity.