Friends of Montclair Library

Maybe you’re a pro by now at using Overdrive and other library resources to check out e-books. (If you’re not, consider signing up for the free hands-on workshop on using the library’s digital content on Saturday, Jan. 21.)

But have you heard about Hoopla? Launched last September, this service offers more than 100,000 fiction and non-fiction e-book titles and 6,500 graphic novels, for all ages, plus audiobooks, music, movies and TV shows. And unlike Overdrive, digital content on Hoopla is always available to stream or download, without holds or waiting lists. An article in The Montclarion called Hoopla “like Netflix, but for libraries.”

The catch is that you’re limited to six total check-outs per month, even if you return the titles. But if you’re looking for a popular title that has a long waiting list in Overdrive, like Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer, it’s worth checking Hoopla.

To get started, visit the Hoopla website and create an account, or download the free app from the Apple App Store or Google Play (search for “hoopla”). (And if you need a little extra help, that workshop on the 21st will cover Hoopla, too.)