If you use hoopla through the Fort Smith Public Library, you’ll soon see a change to your monthly checkout limits.  Beginning January 1, the maximum number of checkouts per library card will change from six to five per month.

This change came after thoughtful deliberation and review.  As more library customers discover and use hoopla’s extensive collection of eBooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, music, and comics, the costs associated with providing this service also increase.  By slightly reducing the checkout limit, our goal is to continue offering access to hoopla for as many library cardholders as possible while staying within our budget constraints.

We understand that this change may affect how you use hoopla.  Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your monthly checkouts:

• Use your hoopla favorites list.  This may help you plan ahead and prioritize what you’d like to borrow each month.
• Explore the hoopla BingePass.  BingePasses only use one monthly checkout, but give you 7 days of unlimited access to a collection of items instead of just one title.
• Watch for hoopla Bonus Borrows.  These are available the last seven days of each month and allow you to choose from a specific selection of hoopla offerings without having to use one of your monthly checkouts.
• Look into the library’s other digital resources.  Libby/Library2Go offers access to thousands of downloadable eBooks and audiobooks.  Kanopy is a great source for streaming video including critically-acclaimed movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic movies, indie films, and lots of great videos for kids.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to provide access to this popular library resource within the limits of our library funding.