February 2024 Resource Spotlight: Hoopla

February is Black History Month and this year’s theme is “African Americans and the Arts.” 

A great resource to learn more about Black culture and explore great artists is Hoopla, opens a new window. Free for library cardholders, this platform has music, movies, books and more. Most items are available as instant borrows - meaning anyone can borrow the title to read, view, or listen to instantaneously on their smartphone, tablet, computer or smart TV. 

Hoopla has curated collections dedicated to Black History Month. You can browse by format and collections to find what you're looking for:

• Audiobooks – Black History Month, opens a new window 
• Comics – Black History Month, opens a new window 
• Ebooks - Black Stories & Experiences, opens a new window 
• Movies - Black Representation in Film & TV, opens a new window 
• Music – Essential Motown The 60s, opens a new window & Essential Motown The 70s, opens a new window 
• Television – Celebrate Black Shows, opens a new window 

You can also use the search box to do a keyword search. For example, searching “Black History” yields over 20,000 items. The results can be narrowed down using the various filters on the left side of the screen on their own or combined. For example, you can limit by Format, to see only ebooks, audiobooks, music, comics, movies, or television. And you can add in the limit by User Rating which rates everything from 1 to 5 stars. Finally, you could click the box to limit to Children's Titles Only. 

Check out this resource on the library’s Digital Library, opens a new window and Homework Resources, opens a new window web pages. For more on how to use it, try out this Niche Tutorial, opens a new window or ask a librarian!, opens a new window