Custom Carousels Are Making Patron Discoverability Go Round

Coming Soon!

Finding new ways to connect patrons with digital content that feels personalized, timely, and engaging is never easy.

Hoopla’s new custom carousels tool and the private collection tool, however, give libraries a powerful way to curate and promote materials that reflect the unique needs and interests of their communities. Whether you’re highlighting a citywide reading program or drawing attention to hidden gems in your catalog, custom carousels and private collections are a versatile way to get the right content in front of the right patrons at the right time.

A tool for community-focused curation

One of the greatest strengths of custom carousels and private collections is their ability to reflect local priorities. Libraries can use them to connect with local happenings by featuring:

Music from artists performing nearby
Books and media related to special events at area museums or zoos
Titles that celebrate community heritage and significant anniversaries
Collections tied to community initiatives

Carousels that appear on the homepage can mix formats and license types, offering a dynamic and flexible way to present a well-rounded collection. They can also appear on most format pages, including audiobooks, eBooks, comics, movies, TV, and music with only items from that format.

Custom date ranges can be applied as well, allowing libraries to align carousels with specific program timelines or promotional campaigns.

Meanwhile, private collections allow libraries to curate thematic collections and make them visible on the format’s collections page within the Hoopla app. Collections can be used to feature community programs—including book club selections or staff picks—and highlight local authors, series, or creators.

Maximizing digital collection usage

Custom carousels also provide an effective way to increase visibility for Hoopla Flex and Instant Bundle titles, helping libraries achieve full utilization of metered one copy/one user licenses. With titles easily added or removed at any time, collections remain fresh, relevant, and responsive to patron demand.

Libraries also have the option to add a short description, giving them space to share context, recommendations, or guidance that can further support discovery. This added context is especially helpful when promoting new initiatives or introducing patrons to underused formats.

Easy to share across communication channels

Once a collection is created, sharing it with patrons is simple.

Libraries can share links to collections in newsletters, social media posts, blogs, or on their websites. The link is simply the collection’s URL, making integration with existing outreach workflows seamless.