hoopla service update

Beginning June 1, 2025

Lancaster Public Library is proud to offer Hoopla and has enjoyed watching it grow over the years. LPL card holders who borrow eBooks, audiobooks, comics, music, TV shows, and movies on Hoopla will notice a change on the platform starting next month. Due to rising usage and associated costs, beginning June 1, 2025, Hoopla services will be available only to patrons in the municipalities we serve.

  • Conestoga Township
  • East Hempfield Township
  • East Lampeter Township
  • East Petersburg Township
  • Lancaster City
  • Lancaster Township
  • Manor Township
  • Millersville Borough
  • Mountville Borough
  • Pequea Township
  • West Earl Township
  • West Hempfield Township
  • West Lampeter Township
  • Upper Leacock Township

We know you love Hoopla (and we love it, too!), unfortunately, as the popularity of the service continues to grow, the costs continue to surpass the budget limits at the library. We believe this change will help us to use our limited resources fairly to serve everyone and will ensure that this popular service remains sustainable within the library’s budget.

How Does Hoopla Work?

To fully understand the reason for the change, it’s important to know how Hoopla works. Libraries that offer Hoopla agree to pay a fee for each item that patrons check out. Prices vary among items, but generally, an eBook checkout through Hoopla costs the library about $3. Movies and music cost about $1.50, and some audiobooks cost as much as $3.99. Audiobooks tend to be the most expensive category (as well as the most popular), so those costs can rise quickly.

Since the beginning of 2020, the number of LPL patrons actively borrowing titles through Hoopla has nearly doubled. In 2024, over 4,000 LPL patrons checked out at least one item from Hoopla, and new patrons are constantly discovering the service. We have historically relied on monthly and daily spending caps to maintain a sustainable budget, but as use continues to increase, we have found that daily spending caps are being reached earlier and earlier in the day, which means fewer patrons have access to materials.

  • For example, last month, patrons were blocked 1,350 times because we reached our spending cap!

The rising demand has outpaced our digital collections budget—even after increasing it each year. This change will help ensure we can continue offering great digital resources without compromising access to other services.

Make the Most of your Hoopla Checkouts Each Month

How to borrow

There are two ways to borrow content in hoopla: Flex and Instant. Each title has either a Flex icon or an Instant icon, as shown in the image below.​

  1. The Instant icon (⚡) = represents a title that’s available instantly (always-available model)
  2. The Flex icon (🔄) = represents a book that is a one copy/one user model (it might have a waitlist if it’s popular).

How much can I borrow each month?

Each library account receives:

  • Five (5) Instant borrows each month
  • Two (2) rolling Flex borrows

​You’ll get a fresh set of 5 Instant borrows at the beginning of each month. You have 2 ‘rolling’ Flex borrows at all times. Returning a Flex title frees up another Flex borrow credit.

We hope this helps explain some of the reasons for the new limits on Hoopla. If you still have questions, please email them to askus@lancasterpubliclibrary.org. As always, we are grateful for your continued support of Lancaster Public Library!​