Bethlehem Library Notes for Thursday, April 23, 2020
— Photo by Kristen Roberts
Outdoor signs from the Bethlehem Public Library staff tell patrons that they are missed. While the doors are closed, staffers have been busy stepping up the online resources available to cardholders, such as additional e-books, digital magazines, streaming services, as well as research and learning tools. Librarians have also developed virtual programs like online book discussions and a poetry contest.
Hoopla is here! Now library cardholders have even more choices when it comes to checking out e-books, audiobooks, and more. Hoopla is an on-demand digital service available to all cardholders in the Upper Hudson Library System, of which Bethlehem is a part.
In addition to e-books and audiobooks, Hoopla has a broad selection of digital magazines, movies, music, comics, and TV shows. Unlike other services, there’s no wait. Titles can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later.
How it works:
— You will get five instant borrows each month. These digital borrows will reset every month and you can borrow more than one title at a time. Some titles are “Bonus Borrows” and won’t count toward your monthly total;
— Books are available for 21 days, videos are available for 72 hours, and music titles are available for seven days after you borrow;
— Hoopla is available on your desktop, phone, tablet, Alexa devices, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV. Download the app to take your digital loans anywhere;
— To sign up for Hoopla, visit www.hoolpladigital.com, and select Get Started Today. Follow the prompts to create an account, select Bethlehem Public Library and enter your library barcode. If you are not a Bethlehem patron, choose the Upper Hudson library with which your card is associated; and
— For help with Hoopla, please visit the www.hoolpladigital.com. If you need help with your library card, please email .
Read, listen, and watch
And Hoopla’s just the tip of the iceberg. Head to the library’s eContent page to find out what else is available to download and stream, as well as helpful links and tips if you are new to using these services.
You can get e-books, audiobooks, and e-magazines through OverDrive — and there are thousands of titles to choose from. More e-magazines are available to Bethlehem cardholders through Flipster, and we are adding new titles all the time, including Do It Yourself, Elle Décor, Simply Gluten Free, Paleo Magazine, and more.
Bethlehem cardholders may also stream movies and high-quality children’s programming or explore one of The Great Courses through Kanopy. You may watch on any computer, television, mobile device, or platform by downloading the Kanopy app.
Even more e-books and audiobooks for all ages are available through the Upper Hudson Library System, including Tumblebooks, Teen Book Cloud, Audio Book Cloud, Romance Book Cloud, and myON. You’ll find links to all of these on our eContent page at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/borrow/ebooks-emagazines.
Get a library card online
Ready to check out all that great eContent? If you don’t already have one, you’ll need a library card. To make it easier for our patrons to get immediate access to our digital materials and services, you can sign up for a library card online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
Budget vote delayed
The library’s budget vote and trustee election originally scheduled for May 19 has been delayed by executive order. Further information regarding a rescheduled date is not available at this time, but we will keep you up to date as we know more.