Some libraries offer Libby and Hoopla as sites to borrow audiobooks. Hoopla is a fan-favorite library app because it allows you to borrow a book immediately without any waiting period. In this post, we will answer your frequently asked questions, such as searching for books on Hoopla, accessing multiple Hoopla accounts, and finding the Best Non-Resident Libraries that offer Hoopla for a small fee.
What is Hoopla?
Hoopla is a web and mobile library media streaming platform for audiobooks, comics, e-books, movies, music, and TV. The Hoopla catalog offers thousands of options to read, watch and listen to.
Hoopla is an add-on service for e-books and audiobooks that your library may offer.
Where can I get access to Hoopla?
Check your library to see if they offer Hoopla. Suppose your library does not provide access to Hoopla. In that case, you can get a non-resident library card from Orange County Public Library System and Miami-Dade Public Library. Your non-resident fee includes access to the Hoopla library.
How do I sign up to use Hoopla Digital?
With your library card, you can sign up for Hoopla. Here are the steps to sign up:
Go to HooplaDigital.com
Hoopla will prompt you to select your library
Enter your Library Cart and Pin
Create a new account linked to your email address
You can download the Hoopla app to your phone, Ipad (available in IOS and Android), and Amazon Kindle Fire. You can also access the library via your web browser by visiting HooplaDigital.com
How does Hoopla work?
Your library will grant you access to their Hoopla Library. Each library offers a certain number of monthly borrows that you can use (from 4 monthly borrows up to 20 monthly borrows).
You will use one of your borrows when you find a book you would like to listen to or read. I would think of the borrows as credits. Each book borrowed is a credit. Once you have hit the maximum monthly borrows, you must wait until the first month to get a new number of credits.
Books are available to download immediately. Most of Hoopla’s borrowers have no waiting period or hold lines.
To maximize your credits, if you have a few credits at the end of the month, you can borrow those books, which will be available to you until the 21 days are up.
You cannot roll over credits from month to month.
Where to listen to the audiobooks within Hoopla?
You can listen through the Hoopla app if you borrow a Hoopla audiobook. The Hoopla app offers the following features: a sleep timer, a chapter list (if you toggle between reading the book and listening to the book), and you can speed up to 4 times speed.
How to maximize your Hoopla Borrows?
The easiest way to accumulate Hoopla Borrows is to have multiple Library Cards. Each library will assign you from 4 to 20 credits per month. If you have a library that offers 12 credits and another one that offers 20, you can access 32 borrows per month, a book a day.
Please note that libraries do offer different selections within their Hoopla. This means you may hear a book is available on Hoopla, but when you look at X library is not available, but Y Library has it, you are in luck.
How to access multiple Hoopla Accounts?
Unlike Libby, where you can store all of your library cards within the app, Hoopla requires you to create a login for each library card. Using different email addresses per login is the best way to do this. Ensure your phone saves your login information so it will be easy to switch accounts.
To switch accounts, click the setting tool and scroll to Log Out. You must log out completely before logging back into a different account.
How to search for books on Hoopla?
I will be honest; the Hoopla search can have some work. Searching by Author Name to see all the books on their backlist is best.
If you want to scroll for suggestions, I suggest looking through Publisher, where you can scroll for all of the books the publisher has available on Hoopla.
Best Non-Resident Libraries that Offer Hoopla
If your library does not offer Hoopla, you can pay a nominal non-resident fee for a library card. The following two libraries offer several borrows per month. In addition, you will have access to their Overdrive/Libby library.
Orange County Public Library System (Florida)
Fee: $125 a year
Hoopla Borrows 10 Instant Borrows and 10 Flex Borrows (these borrows are for books with a hold list)
If you are looking for a library offering an extensive Hoopla and Libby catalog (about 160k books to borrow), this library is for you. The signup process is simple. Just fill out the form. When it comes to County- just list Orange. A librarian will process your request and charge you the non-resident fee. Once you pay your fee, you can easily borrow books.
Miami-Dade Public Library
Fee: $65 a year
Hoopla Borrows: 20 Instant Borrows
If you are looking for a low-cost but good investment library card, then Miami-Dade is for you. In addition to 20 Hoopla Borrows, you will have access to their Overdrive/Libby library with about 70k books. To signup, you must email customercare@mdpls.org to request a library card. A librarian will ask you to provide your name and mailing address, and they will set up an account for you. You must pay the fee; once that is paid, you can borrow books from the library.
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If you are looking for more libraries offering Hoopla Digital, check out our post with a list of Non-Resident Library Cards available for Romance Readers.
