Beginning May 1st, 2025, the Cape Breton Regional Library will implement changes to Hoopla, the popular digital media service that offers access to eBooks, audiobooks, movies, music, and more.

CBRL had almost one thousand new Hoopla users last year, and with more users joining every month the rising costs are projected to exceed our digital resources budget allocated for 2025. To ensure we can continue offering a wide range of digital and physical materials to our patrons, we must make adjustments to how Hoopla is accessed.

What’s changing:

• ​Effective May 1st, the number of Hoopla checkouts per patron each month will be reduced from five to three. 
• We will also be introducing a Collective Daily Borrow Limit which will ensure that the library does not exceed its limited budget.

A Collective Daily Borrow Limit means that once CBRL lends enough titles out to reach the established daily spending limit, borrowing is turned off for the rest of the day for all patrons. Patrons will receive a message saying to “try again tomorrow” when that limit has been reached. The collective daily borrow limit will reset each day at midnight. 

Any daily budget that is not spent will roll over into the following day. Patrons can still borrow 3 items per month as long as the daily spending limit is not reached.  

Why make this change?

Libraries all over North America, including several other libraries in Nova Scotia, are having to make tough decisions regarding their Hoopla service.  Over the past several years, the costs associated with Hoopla have risen significantly. Hoopla is a pay-per-use service, charging the library for each checkout. Their pricing model makes the costs unpredictable and difficult to budget. 

​Understanding Hoopla’s Cost Structure

It’s helpful to understand how Hoopla’s pricing works. Libraries pay a set fee each time an item is borrowed. While prices vary, the average cost per checkout for all materials is about $2.80. With more patrons accessing this service each month, these fees add up quickly.

Cost Management Strategies​

We remain committed to offering diverse digital resources, but managing these rising costs is essential. By reducing the monthly checkout limit, and introducing a Collective Daily Borrow Limit we can control our costs while continuing to offer this popular service.

​Exploring Additional Solutions

Without additional funding for Nova Scotian Libraries, we may have to make further reductions in the future. This would most likely be discontinuing Hoopla service entirely and reallocating funds to another service such as Libby/Overdrive. We have reviewed our data and found that more people are borrowing more items through Libby and on average Libby fees work out to $0.41 per circulation compared to $2.80 per circulation on Hoopla.

​Bonus Borrows

We encourage patrons to take advantage of Hoopla’s “Bonus Borrows,” available during the last seven days of each month. These special titles don’t count against your monthly limit, and the Library incurs no cost for them. Look for Bonus Borrows in the app or on Hoopla’s main page during the final week of each month.

​

Other Digital Services Unaffected

These changes apply only to Hoopla. Other digital services, including Libby/OverDrive, remain unaffected. We also encourage you to continue to borrow physical materials including books, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and audiobooks on CD or Playway.

​We know these adjustments may be disappointing to some, and we truly appreciate your support as we balance fiscal responsibility with excellent library service. Your feedback is always welcome — please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us as we navigate the future of digital resources at the Library.

​Thank you for your continued support of Cape Breton Regional Library.

How can you help

Voice your support for libraries and the need for increased library funding by writing to your MLA.

Donate to CBRL’s Books & Beyond Campaign. All donations to Books & Beyond go towards enhancing our collections of books, Library of Things equipment and kits, and digital library resources.

Jump to category:

eBooks & Audiobooks

Libby by Overdrive

The library’s core eBook and audiobook collection provides you with thousands of titles to choose from. Read in your browser, on your mobile device or on a dedicated eReader.

Read or Listen now at Libbyapp.com or download the app.

Getting Started

• Download App
  • Apple App Store
  • Google Play Store
• Libby Help Site
• Syncing Libby and Kobo eReader

Go to Overdrive website

Hoopla

Borrow movies, television shows, documentaries, music, eBooks, comics and audiobooks for free.
You can borrow 3 hoopla titles each month.

Getting Started

• Download App
  • Apple App Store
  • Google Play Store
• Updating your library card number in Hoopla
• Hoopla information & help

Go to Hoopla website

Magazines & Newspapers

Libby Magazines

Libby provides access to thousands of popular and specialty magazines. Borrow as many as you want. No wait times and unlimited renewals.

Read now at Libbyapp.com or download the app.

Getting Started

• Download App
  • Apple App Store
  • Google Play Store
• Libby Help Site

Go to Overdrive website

Pressreader

PressReader provides instant access to thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world, included your favourite local newspapers.

Getting Started

• Download App
  • Apple App Store
  • Google Play Store
• Pressreader Help

Go to Pressreader Website

Movies & TV & Music

Hoopla

Borrow movies, television shows, documentaries, music, eBooks, comics and audiobooks for free.
You can borrow 5 hoopla titles each month.

Getting Started

• Download App
  • Apple App Store
  • Google Play Store
• Updating your library card number in Hoopla
• Hoopla information & help

Go to Hoopla website

Kanopy

Kanopy offers a wide range of independent films, classic cinema, documentaries, educational videos, children’s shows and foreign films.
You can borrow 5 Kanopy titles each month plus. Additional credit free movies and shows are also available. Access to Kanopy Kids is unlimited.

Getting Started

• Download App
  • Apple App Store
  • Google Play Store
• Kanopy Information & Help

Go to Kanopy Website

Accessible Library Services

CBRL offers books in accessible formats including large print, braille, DAISY and MP3 audiobooks, and accessible ebooks. We have partnerships with CELA and NNELS to offer services to persons with print disabilities and/or visual impairments. First time users will need to register with CELA or NNELS. Click on the button below to learn more about our accessible collections and how to register for these services.

Learn about Accessible Collections

CELA

CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Service) offers books, magazines & newspapers in accessible formats for people with print disabilities. The Collection includes award winners, best sellers, fiction and non-fiction with a special emphasis on Canadian authors and stories, and favourites for kids and teens. Patrons have access to close to 50 newspapers and 150 DAISY magazines which are available on the same day they are published.

Go to CELA website

NNELS

National Network for Equitable Library Service.
NNELS is a growing collection of downloadable audiobooks and other accessible formats available for people with print disabilities.
NNELS titles can be used on a wide variety of devices, including our handheld Envoy Connect audiobook players.

Contact your Library to register for NNELS and then search the NNELS website for books.

Go to NNELS Website

Learning & Research

Mauril Language App

Created by CBC / Radio-Canada this free app uses videos from CBC and Radio-Canada television to offer structured language lessons. Excellent for oral comprehension.

Go to Mauril

Nova Scotia Health Patient Education

Access over 1000 pamphlets related to specific health conditions, surgeries and more.

Nova Scotia Health Patient Education

Cochrane Library

The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases that contain high quality independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making

Cochrane Library

The Reference Shelf by Salem Press

includes access to reference works in the following subject areas: Literature, History, Science, and Health.

The Reference Shelf

CBC Corner – Discover the best Canadian shows, stories & more

CBRL is very happy to announce that we’ve added a new digital resource to our website! Developed especially for public libraries, CBC Corner is a digital portal that brings CBC’s audio, video and news content together in one place for a more streamlined experience.

Have a few minutes? Not sure what you are looking for or just want to browse around? With trusted news, local stories and radio shows, entertaining TV shows, documentaries, movies, award-winning podcasts, latest sports news and special reports, and much more, CBC Corner has something for everyone and every taste!

Do you have children? CBC Corner has tons of safe, educational and entertaining content for children and youth of all ages including tv shows, free online games, fun quizzes and activities as well as news articles made by kids for kids. As a parent, you will also find cool and simple crafts ideas, healthy recipes, and easy ways to learn through play!

Interested in other languages? CBC Corner offers, through the daily multilingual service RCI, news in five of the most commonly spoken foreign languages in Canada (Mandarin, Punjabi, Tagalog, Arabic, Spanish).

CBC Corner is also a very valuable resource for those looking to learn or refine their French, or even their English skills, through our free Canadian language learning app, Mauril!

And if you’re looking for French content, CBC Corner also allows you to explore all of this en français with audio, video and news from Radio-Canada!

These are just a few examples of all the great content you can find! You will find a link to CBC Corner on our Digital Library page, or you can click here to check it out!

Kanopy’s play credits are now called tickets. Each library member now gets 15 tickets a month and Kanopy has made it easy to see how many tickets each title requires and how long you can view it for.

visit the Kanopy Help page to learn more about the ticket system

We are also pleased to announce unlimited viewing collections on Kanopy. Titles from these collections do not require tickets.

You can find the unlimited collections on the main page of CBRL’s Kanopy site. Just scroll down until you see Series Collection – Unlimited viewing, British Cinema & TV Collection – Unlimited Viewing and Kanopy Favourite Collection -Unlimited viewing.

Kanopy Getting Started

For #PrideMonth, Kanopy has identified films that inspire, empower, and recognize the leaps and bounds the LGBTQ+ community had made in our society throughout the years.

Get the gingerbread cookies and eggnog ready, cause we’re celebrating the season with Kanopy’s newly expanded Home Viewing for the Holidays collection! To unwrap this cinematic present, just go to cbrl.kanopy.com/category/24372.

Hoopla also has some holiday picks! Check out their Holiday collection including movies, television and ebooks for the whole family!

Did you know Hoopla also has music streaming available? Listen to some holiday classics or try something new from their Holiday Music Collection.

Choose wisely, your library membership gives you access to 5 Kanopy films a month.

If having to choose just 5 horror films sounds absolutely terrifying to you, then head over to Hoopla’s website (or app) and choose 5 films from their Halloween collection!

Happy Halloween!

Drawing from their incredible library of LGBTQ+ films, Kanopy has curated a collection for Pride Month. To view these films that cover everything from historical events to pioneers bravely taking a stand against injustice, visit go.kanopy.com/pride. #PrideMonth

New to Kanopy? Read all about it and view our video tutorials.

The Library will be hosting library events in August as part of CBRM Pride Week!

Learn more about Nova Scotia’s African Heritage at the Nova Scotia website for African Heritage Month 2022

CBRL has great resources for learning about African Heritage month too!

Kanopy

Our newest video streaming service, Kanopy, has a great selection of documentaries and feature films on Black History. You can access 5 Kanopy films a month with your library card.

Libby

Book lovers can browse Libby’s extensive collection titled Black Voices and Black History. This collection includes ebooks, and audiobooks for all ages. Look for it as a featured collection in Libby this month or browse the list on the Overdrive website.

Books Lists on Pinterest

And finally, CBRL librarians have put together an eye catching virtual book display on Pinterest. Check out the Pinterest boards for Black Lives Matter (featuring books by and about Africian Nova Scotians) and BLM for Children and Young Adults. All books are available to borrow from CBRL!