After careful consideration, the Forest Park Public Library will enact some changes to our Hoopla Digital service. Starting January 1, the monthly borrow limit will go from ten to seven.
So far in 2025, we have an average of 366.8 active users per month with 3.56 average borrows per active patron.
Although Hoopla is a free service for patrons to use, it operates on a cost-per-circulation basis model. This means that there is a cost to the library for each item checked out on Hoopla, with an average of $2.33 per circulation. Therefore, the cost increases as the number of checkouts increase. Current use has made this model unsustainable due to budget limitations. In 2024, patrons borrowed 13,065 titles. So far in 2025, patrons have already borrowed 14,583 titles.
This change will allow us to manage rising costs of digital products while keeping the service accessible for as many people as possible. We add an average of 19 new users every month (with an all time patron count of 2,585 patrons).
We encourage everyone to check out Hoopla BingePasses and Bonus Borrows to make the most of Hoopla. And please don’t forget about our other digital collections in the Libby app and Kanopy.
We appreciate your understanding as we work to be responsible stewards of public funds.