Staunton Public Library has recently made the difficult decision to adjust our Hoopla service due to rising costs. Although Hoopla is free for SPL patrons to use, Hoopla charges the library a fee for each item checked out. Unlike a flat subscription fee, libraries pay more for increased use. This model has become unsustainable for SPL and makes it difficult to properly budget for all of the resources and materials we aim to provide.
Why the Change?
Hoopla usage has increased dramatically over the past year, SPL has seen a price increase of over 45%, far outpacing our original cost projections for the year. While we’re so glad that our community is enthusiastic about using Hoopla, the increased use is financially unsustainable. SPL funding has not been reduced in any way, but the increased usage and sharp rise in expenses means that our existing funds are not sufficient to cover the cost of Hoopla through the rest of the fiscal year using our current budgeting parameters.
What’s Changing?
SPL routinely evaluates our funding allocations for our various collections. To keep Hoopla availablewhile staying within budget, and balancing funds for our other collections and services, we are making the following adjustments:
- Lowering the cost threshold per check-out: Items on Hoopla range from under a dollar to several dollars per circulation; SPL has lowered its maximum price to $1.99 from $2.99. This means that some titles across all genres and audiences are no longer available because we’ve had to drop the maximum per item price level.
- Reducing each patron’s monthly check-outs: Staring in March, patrons will be allowed a maximum of three borrows each month (previously four).
- Limiting Hoopla access to residents of the Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro areas: SPL’s borrower policy has long allowed our neighbors in nearby counties to receive a library card. Non-residents within our broader service area may still sign up for a card, but will no longer be able to access Hoopla so that we can prioritize those allocated funds for local residents.
Libraries across the country are dealing with this same issue as we all navigate the exponential cost increases for digital collections. Some are canceling Hoopla service altogether, which is something that SPL is seeking to avoid. A recent article from Book Riot covered this issue and demonstrates the vast difficulties libraries face in maintaining their digital collections. We understand that the new changes may be disappointing, but we have opted to do them so that we can still continue to provide any access to Hoopla at all.
Other Digital Options
We are pleased to also offer access to Overdrive/Libby, which has over 16,000 audiobooks, 31,000 eBooks, and magazines. Overdrive/Libby differs from Hoopla in that they do not have caps on monthly usage and patrons are allowed to check out up to six items at one time.
Want to Learn More?
We invite you to speak with an SPL librarian if you have questions about the Hoopla or Overdrive/Libby services, and we are thankful for your patience and understanding while we strive to make digital collections financially sustainable for our community.
