Boston Public Library expands digital offerings through free streaming media service

Boston Public Library now offers a free streaming media service for all cardholders, providing easy access to thousands of movies, television shows, music, and audiobooks for instant streaming or temporary download for smartphones, tablets, or computers. Library users can download up to ten titles per month and the automatic return ensures no late fees, with checkout times ranging from three days to three weeks.

“When we surveyed our users earlier this year, access to streaming content was the top-requested new service,” said Michael Colford, Director of Library Services. “Free digital streaming is an excellent addition to Boston Public Library’s growing online collection, and it is available twenty-four hours a day.”

The service enables access from the convenience of your home, local coffee shop, or anywhere – all you need is a library card, viewing or listening device, and Internet access if streaming content. The collection includes everything from new and notable titles to favorite classics for children and adults, including educational and instructional videos, foreign films, and top-selling music albums.  

The streaming media service is called hoopla and is accessible via the “collections” section of the Boston Public Library website. Library users log in with their Boston Public Library card and then create a hoopla reader account. In addition, users have the option of downloading an app for iOS and Android devices. All titles are available for simultaneous access with no waiting periods, and new content is added weekly. More information on the digital media service, along with “getting started” tips and check-out guides, is available on the Boston Public Library website at www.bpl.org/collections/hoopla.htm.

Digital streaming is the latest in a series of new online offerings available via the Boston Public Library. Other popular services include digital magazines, a mobile catalog, e-books, an ever-growing collection of digitized images from the library’s collection, and a range of career, research, and genealogical databases.

About BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 
Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-four branches, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first large free municipal library in the United States, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit www.bpl.org.