Fair Pricing and Better Access: What You May Not Know About Hoopla

Did you know that one of Hoopla’s biggest priorities is advocating fair pricing and access for digital content for libraries?

Amid the rising costs for metered and perpetual access licenses, we are proud to have kept our Instant (pay per use) price points at or below $3.99 (USD)!

Over a decade ago, we experimented with $4.99 pricing for select Instant titles. We quickly realized that this was not a feasible library pricing model and challenged our publishers to find better pricing solutions for libraries. Most of them stepped up and agreed. Since then, we’ve successfully maintained an average cost per circulation at or below $2.16 (USD).

New Pricing Models, Same Price

In a 2019 American Libraries article, the publication identified ‘ongoing concerns over library prices for eBooks and audiobooks.’ Unfortunately, in the six years since, even more license types and price increases have emerged.

While other library resources take whatever pricing the publishers offer and spin it into various license types (including time based, circ based, special days, and more), these pricing models merely slice and dice the real cost into different structures—still charging the same rate and reducing catalogs over time.

Same Content, Faster Access

Hoopla also works diligently to achieve shorter embargoes on content moving to Hoopla Instant, eliminating the library’s need to purchase costly licenses that may go underused—or not used at all. Many publishers allow access to top titles on street date, while others impose embargo windows as short as six months.

For over 35 years, Midwest Tape has been a trusted partner for public libraries, providing innovative solutions for physical audiovisual media workflows and collections. As the digital landscape evolves and the demand for digital content rises, we are here to support libraries in meeting these new challenges.

Hoopla offers a range of solutions and tools to help libraries of all sizes and budgets provide their patrons with 24/7 access to a robust digital catalog.

Discover how Hoopla can support your library today!