While many folks’ streaming habits rely on the popular services like Netflix or Amazon Prime or Disney+ (or what have you), it’s worth remembering that there are also free resources out there that you can access just by virtue of having a library card (or, in some cases, a student ID). Yes, there are a ton of digital movies, shows, books, music and more that you can borrow gratis. Free gratis even!
These resources are great if you’re looking for online library books or audiobooks (or comics), but are also more limited than just, say, going to Amazon and buying something. They also don’t have as many shows and movies available as the big subscription streamers, but again, free stuff.
Unlike the Netflixes (is that a word?) of the world, however, many of these services are dependent on where you live and whether or not your library has an arrangement with them. So read on for a brief guide to the major digital library resources that are out there and what kind of content they offer. And be sure to check with your local library to figure out which ones you can access!
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hoopla
hoopla (with a small “h”!) is one of the more well-rounded digital media library services in that it offers not just free ebooks and audiobooks but also comics, movies, TV shows and music. The service says it has “hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily.” Titles can be streamed on desktop or via mobile app, and can also be downloaded to play offline. You can also stream hoopla via Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Android TV. On the downside, hoopla limits how many titles you can borrow per month (I appear to be capped at seven).
A quick perusal of the movies section indicates that Parasite director Bong Joon-ho’s modern classic The Host is available for borrow, as are four Star Trek movies, Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, and approximately 9,000 other movie titles. (But keep in mind that owing to the localized nature of libraries, the content available to you could be different.)
Find out if your library supports hoopla here.
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OverDrive
Not to be confused with the movie of the same name starring Scott Eastwood, OverDrive, like hoopla, provides access to ebooks, audiobooks, comics, movies, TV shows and music, working with a network of 45,000 libraries and schools in 78 different countries. The film and TV selection appears to be fairly limited when compared to hoopla (in my local library’s case anyway), with just over 600 titles available. And it does not appear to offer the ease of options to stream to your TV that hoopla does.
On the flipside, there is no limit on how many titles you can borrow each month — and the service is great for free books online. In fact, the company offers a newer, slicker app called Libby which is specifically geared towards books…
Find out if your library supports OverDrive here.
Libby
Libby’s app is much more intuitive than its parent app OverDrive, so for those who are just looking for ebooks, audiobooks, or digital comics, this is the way to go (again, if your library is affiliated with the service). I personally became addicted to Libby last year when I made a New Year’s resolution to listen to at least one audiobook per month. (Hey, gotta start somewhere.) I’ve stuck to that resolution so far and 15 months later it hasn’t cost me a dime.
Libby also allows its users to access its digital library via different library accounts (say if you have a library card and a student ID from your school library).
Find out if your library supports Libby here.
Sora
Speaking of student libraries, Sora is OverDrive’s app for K-12 students. It allows them to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, digital comics, picture books, textbooks, and more from their school’s digital library, and can be accessed on smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
Find out if your school library supports Sora here.
Kanopy
Kanopy offers thousands of films to stream for free via your public library, college or university, but the trick is whether or not those institutions are affiliated with the service as it is reportedly an expensive proposition for them. However, if you are lucky enough to have access to it, Kanopy can be accessed on phones, tablets, desktop, and TV via a variety of apps including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
Find out if your library supports Kanopy here.
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cloudLibrary
cloudLibrary is another service that your local library may be affiliated with. According to the cloudLibrary site, it deals in ebooks and audiobooks, but if you’re a user of this service comment at the bottom of this page and let us know if it also offers movies or other video options.
Find out if your library supports cloudLibrary here.
RBdigital and Flipster
Both of these services provide magazine downloads — yeah, remember magazines? They still exist! In the case of RBdigital, the downloads are permanent. No need to return them. Of course, you’ll still need a library card to access these services.
Find out if your library supports RBdigital here or Flipster here.
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Digital Library Pro-Tips
- Remember, you’re going to need a library card to access these services. Some libraries offer library cards without you having to actually go to the library, so start with your local library branch’s website to find out what they offer.
- Some libraries offer non-resident borrowing privileges! Learn more about that here.
- If you’re big into audiobooks like me and want to listen to them on your smart speaker like an Amazon Echo, you can play the book on your phone or tablet and use Bluetooth to stream to your speaker!
What other digital libraries are worth looking into? Got any pro-tips? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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Talk to Executive Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottCollura, or listen to his Star Trek podcast, Transporter Room 3. Or do both!
Source: IGN.com Best Free Online Libraries