Get More Out Of Your Library Card With Libby+Craftsy And Hoopla

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Blog banner advertising Libby+Craftsy and Hoopla, BPL Library Digital Resources. There is a picture of each app: Libby shows the top head of a character with maroon hair and a teal hair clip like a bookmark reading a teal book set against a darker red background, Craftsy is in cursive set against a bright orange background, and Hoopla is just a bright blu color.

Get more—and save more—out of your library card by taking advantage of everything the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) has to offer. Libby and Hoopla are both library apps that allow you to read digital materials for free, and you can access these apps on almost any smart device. 

You may like one over the other, but each app provides a different user experience and offers different features!

This graphic introduces Libby, its features, and what the borrowing rules are for the app

Libby offers library-controlled content, meaning the library owns a digital copy. All Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) patrons, including BPL patrons, can use this app. Libby only offers reading materials on their app. You can check out up to 10 items and put up to 20 items on hold at a time per card. Items offer a 7-day, 14-day, or 21-day lending period.

Not every title you see on Libby is available, but you can let your library know you are interested in a title by selecting "Notify me" on items that are available for library purchase. 

A unique feature of Libby is that you can add multiple library cards to the same account.

So, if you have multiple library systems where you live—like a city/county library plus a state library or are a member of your hometown library and attend school elsewhere with a card for that system—then you can add those cards to the same account. This lets you search multiple library catalogs in Libby, which means you can browse and borrow books from each system instead of waiting for a book to come in on a hold through one library system.

OverDrive experts are leading a one-hour long Getting Started with Libby monthly webinar starting on Wednesday, February 7, at 1:00 p.m. central time. Learn the basics and get access to additional learning resources after the webinar ends. Register for this webinar by clicking on this link.

You can also find more tips on the Libby Life blog; I finally know what the flower emojis are for!

This graphic introduces Hoopla, its features, and what the borrowing rules are

Hoopla offers non-library-controlled content—it works like a subscription to all the service's content, kind of like Netflix. Only BPL patrons and patrons at select JCLC libraries can use Hoopla. If you are a JCLC member, check with your library to see if they have Hoopla.

Hoopla offers reading materials and some movies, TV shows, and music. There is a daily allotment of checkouts, and it resets every day. You can read up to 12 items per month and use up to 12 BingePasses per month to stream videos. Follow Hoopla on their socials to see updates on bonus borrows, a special promotion that lets you borrow more items that month. You can also use Kanopy and Freegal to find more film and music options.

One of Hoopla's unique features is that all the items you see listed are immediately available to borrow! Borrow your items earlier in the day to avoid having to wait for the daily allotment to reset. 

Pratt City Branch Library also offers an E-Entertainement Open House on the first Tuesday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to help patrons get our digital resouces setup on their devices. 

Check out the graphic below to see all the differences between Libby and Hoopla in a quick chart. 

This graphic shows a chart with the differences between Libby and Hoopla. There are three cells on the chart, and the middle lists a feature. On the left side is either a check mark or an x to show if Libby has that feature. On the right side is a check mark or x to show if Hoopla has that feature.

Craftsy is now accessible through Libby! This app offers expert-led instructional videos and classes for all types of hobbies and crafts. There are at least 150 classes in Spanish that cover topics like sewing, baking, drawing, and more. Patrons must have a JCLC card and reside in Birmingham, AL to use Craftsy. 

To access Craftsy, open the Libby app on your preferred device and select the main page (the building icon) after you sign-in. Scroll down to "Extras" and select Craftsy and click "Get." This will grant you a 7-day pass access to the app; after the 7-day pass expires, you will have to sign up for the pass again. 

Check out our databases and digital library pages to see what else the BPL offers that can expand your library experience. This is one of the ways that the BPL puts people first! 

By Cheyenne Trujillo | Library Assistant Ⅲ, Public Relations 

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