Kirk Blankenship, electronic resources Librarian for Seattle Public Libraries, holds a tablet with the website for streaming-media company Hoopla, which the library uses to offer patrons free access to streaming movies, music and audiobooks. Associated Press File Photo

Ted S. Warren

Yesterday’s Butler Eagle reported the Butler County Federated Library System has been forced to limit use of popular digital borrowing system Hoopla.

A limit reduction in permitted borrows per month is the result of increased usage across the library system’s nine public libraries.

When a library cardholder borrows digital media — such as movies, TV shows, e-books, audiobooks and digital comic books — the library system pays Hoopla each time an item is checked out, regardless of which location is the borrower’s home library.

Hoopla’s increasing popularity, its usage within the library system has doubled since last year, has led the cost to the library system to increase, pushing over budget just over halfway through the year.

The library is asking for donations to help allow it to continue to offer Hoopla to borrowers and limit borrowing limitations, but there’s something more cardholders can do to help — limit borrowing to things they’re actually going to have time to listen to, read or watch.

The way Hoopla operates is to charge the library on a per borrow basis, regardless of whether a borrower actually utilizes the media they’ve borrowed.

A simple way to help the library system stay within its budget for costs associated with borrowing through Hoopla is to make sure you only take out what you’ll actually have the time to use.

It’s not just helping the library contain costs, it’s leaving your friends and neighbors across the system who make up the library’s other borrowers a chance to enjoy the same Hoopla offerings you get to enjoy yourself.

— JP