Eastern Shore Libraries to Lose Access to Hoopla Starting Jun. 1

MARYLAND – Eastern Shore Regional Library, Inc. has announced that effective Jun. 1, it will no longer offer Hoopla, a digital media service that many across the Eastern Shore use to access e-books and movies through their local libraries.

Eastern Shore Regional Library, Inc. encompasses library services offered in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Worcester, and Wicomico counties. Wicomico Public Library officials say that while Hoopla has been a popular service for many patrons, “pay-per-use” models have become increasingly difficult for libraries to sustain.

“Because costs increase alongside popularity, this model has reached a point where it is no longer fiscally sustainable for the regional library system,” the library said in a post to social media.”We understand this change may be disappointing. Please be assured that our commitment to providing excellent digital services and robust collections remains a top priority.”

Hoopla users are encouraged to save their Hoopla reading history or favorites list by May 31. Due to privacy laws, Wicomico Public Library does not have access to your account history and cannot retrieve this data for users.

Two other popular media services users can look to include OverDrive and Libby, which house an extensive collection of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. You can find more information on digital resources here.