The Reel World: Watch, read & listen without holds

Pssssst, do you want to watch a movie without waiting for your hold to be filled? Let me tell you about a fabulous service the library offers. Hoopla is a digital streaming platform where you can watch a movie or a TV episode, read or listen to a book, read a comic/graphic novel or listen to a music album (ahem Swifties – her new album Midnights is available with no waiting).

Free & easy streaming

Do I have your attention? Good, now all you need is your library card and PIN. On your phone, tablet or other streaming device just download the Hoopla app, select Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, enter your library card and PIN and start borrowing. After you enter this once it will remember your info. Go to our digital library and click on the Review instructions if you want more details.

There is a borrowing limit of 15 items per month. You can mark favorites to come back to and Hoopla keeps track of your borrowing history. Hoopla will also have times throughout the year where they set up content for unlimited borrows called Bonus Borrows. This bonus doesn’t count toward your 15-item limit.

Tip: when browsing the search bar, start off by just typing "movie" and Hoopla will prompt you with some suggestions. You can also search by title or author/actor name. I tend to find more using the author/actor name than the title. Titles can be tricky and if you didn't put it in exactly like it was published, you may not find it. Here are some movies, shows and books I recommend to get you started.

Familiar Favorites: Movies & actors we love

Sweet Home Alabama

Melanie found glamour and fame in the New York fashion world. She has also found love. However, when her boyfriend proposes, she must return home to Alabama to get a divorce from her first love. Home and her family is very different from her city life. In Melanie's quest for a divorce she revisits old friends and that first love.  She discovers her life in NYC may not be what she wants after all.

Family movies

Charlotte's Web

E.B. White's classic children's story comes to the screen in this live-action adaptation with an all-star voice cast. Fern Arable (Dakota Fanning) is a young girl growing up on her family's farm. When a sow gives birth to some piglets, Fern's father (Kevin Anderson) intends to do away with the runt of litter, but Fern has become attached to the little pig and persuades her father to let him live. She does all this with the help of a spider named Charlotte.

Christmas Movies

Christmas with the Kranks

Based on John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas, Christmas With the Kranks revolves around Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther Krank's (Tim Allen) decision to put their normally fanatical enthusiasm for the holidays aside for a tropical cruise. The rest of the family doesn't think this is a great idea.

For all you Hallmark Channel fans, Hoopla has quite the selection including a Countdown to Christmas.

Essential Graphic Novels

  American Vampire follows two stories: one written by Scott Snyder and one written by legendary horror writer Stephen King.

Most know The Walking Dead from the AMC television series. However, the series was based on th 2010 Eisner Award winning graphic novel by Robert Kirkman.

Television Series

Finding your Roots

This 10-part series, with the renowned cultural critic and Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., delves into the genealogy and genetics of famous Americans. It combines history and science in a fascinating exploration of race, family and identity in today's America. BBC/Acorn fans here is your spot to catch up on all your shows.

Ebooks & Audiobooks

Do these titles look familiar? The library always has a number of holds on Braiding Sweetgrass and the Harry Potter series. On Hoopla you can get either the ebook or digital audiobook without having to wait.

Hoopla has a LARGE selection of digital audiobooks. I'm always amazed at the number of new and popular titles I can find. For example, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger is ready right now for you to listen to without having to wait your turn.

Note: If the book title you want isn't available on Hoopla, check Libby. Generally we buy an audiobook on either Hoopla or Libby, but not both.

Binge Pass

Hoopla Binge Pass gives you days of unlimited access to great online content with a single borrow! Some Binge Passes allow you to explore directly through a partner’s platform, while others give you access to entire collections of content on hoopla. It’s a great way to discover new entertainment, try your hand at a new skill or learn about a new topic.

Once you borrow a BingePass, you can access it immediately. To access the content again, you can find your Binge Pass through the Borrowed section of My hoopla. When your borrow period is up, you’re welcome to borrow the same Binge Pass again.