Apps offer readers free access to e-content

By Andra Moss
The Norfolk Library may be filled with history (and books), but it is also an outstanding resource for
digital media. Thanks to several easy-to-use apps, the library provides 24/7 access to a universe of free
digital collections via the power of a library card.

Tired of watching that stack of magazines on the bedside table grow perilously high? Try Hoopla
(hoopladigital.com). Hoopla offers over 700,000 titles of digital books, comics/graphic novels, digital
magazines, full music albums, movies and other shows. Library patrons can instantly borrow, then
download or stream, the chosen items on their computer, tablet, eBook reader or smartphone.
Hoopla allows borrowing of up to six items per month. Audiobooks and eBooks can be accessed for
three weeks; movies may be viewed for up to 72 hours. The aptly named BingePass gives seven days of
unlimited access to as many eMagazines as one can take. These are full copies of the magazines that
reside on personal devices and can be read from cover to cover.

The new Libby app (overdrive.com/apps/libby) is another option for electronic access to over 4,000
magazine titles. The checkout limit is five items, and they can be held for up to two weeks. Libby also
offers a kids digital collection and teen eReading room filled with downloadable current and popular
children’s and young adult books. Filters are available for parents to set guidelines for age-appropriate
content on their child’s account.

Finally, for those battling the whack-a-mole world of streaming service subscription fees, Kanopy is here.
Kanopy (norfolklibrary.kanopy.com) is a video streaming service with a large selection of top-shelf films
across a variety of genres: indies, classics, documentaries and world cinema.

Kanopy also offers access to The Great Courses, college-level audio and video courses covering a variety
of topics from art history to zoology. All that is needed is the app and a valid Norfolk Library card.
As a fully streaming service, Kanopy’s movies cannot be downloaded. Borrowers are limited to 10 film
views per month and should choose wisely. The Norfolk Library, as the subscriber, has budgeted for a
certain amount of play credits per month for the library community. When that monthly credit
allowance is reached, patrons will not be able to access Kanopy videos until the budget resets the
following month.

To get started on any of these platforms, library patrons will need a Norfolk Library card number to
register. For assistance, call 860-542-5075 or drop into the library.

With a world of digital content waiting to be explored, one might well take a cue from Shakespeare’s
Hamlet to “Get thee to the Apple Store” (or Google Play), Ophelia, and download these apps.