hoopla digital is a service provided by Fort Bend County Libraries to offer free online and mobile access to thousands of eBooks, audiobooks, comics, movies, music, and more. With hoopla, you can borrow, instantly stream, and download dynamic content with a valid library card. All content is accessible via hoopla’s mobile app and www.hoopladigital.com. All items are always available and there are never any late fees.
1. Navigate to https://www.hoopladigital.com
2. Click on "Get Started"
3. Click on Fort Bend County Libraries under "local libraries" or select it form the pull down list, then click "Next"
4. Enter your FBCL library card number and library card password (PIN), then click "Next"
5. Enter your email address and create a hoopla password of at least 8 characters (hoopla password does NOT have to be the same as your library card password).
• For your best searching experience, sign in to hoopla every time before searching. If you want to access hoopla on a mobile device, download the free app for iOS, Android and newer Amazon Fire tablets.
• You can also create your account in the app by following the prompts. You can find the free "hoopla digital" app in the app store for your mobile device.
- If you can log in to hoopla but receive an error message when trying to borrow, please ensure that your library card has not expired and that you do not owe more than $5.00 in library fines and fees. You can check your library card account by logging in to My Account at www.fortbend.lib.tx.us.
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If your account is in good standing and you still see this message, please follow these steps to resolve the issue, which is related to the library settings in Hoopla:
1) Open the settings (small gear) at the top right hand side of both the Hoopla website or app).
2) Open the Library Settings (in the app) or Library (on the Hoopla website).
3) Re-enter your library branch with Fort Bend County Libraries (even if it already lists, Fort Bend, re-select it)
4) Re-enter your library card number.
5) Enter your library card password in the library card PIN field. (This is the password you use to log-in to our library website—directions below if you need to update it).
6) Select Save Library Settings.
**If you need to reset your library password, you can reset it on our website: https://catalog.fortbend.lib.tx.us/polaris/logon.aspx?forgotPassword=1&ctx=1.1033.0.0.5 You’ll enter your library card # and then you’ll receive an email with a link to reset.
*** This process works best from a computer using your browser, but can also be done in the hoopla app. You may have to repeat steps 2-3 a few times. ***
Besides having the monthly, limit, Fort Bend County Libraries also has a daily limit for all of its users put together. If the library system reaches that limit during the day, you will see this message when you click on borrow:
"The collective daily borrow limit set by your library has been reached and will reset at midnight. Please browse and add titles to favorites so you can easily access them after midnight."
If you encounter this message, please “favorite” the title you wish to borrow, and return to your Favorites after the day resets at midnight to quickly return to and borrow the title.
- A valid library card (with less than $5.00 in fines) and password (PIN) or a valid e-Card.
- A valid email address.
- Access to the Internet.
In the website or the app, use the hoopla search function if you want to find out whether a specific title is offered. Use the hoopla Browse function to find offerings of a certain format. hoopla also offers categories under each format so that you can further drill down to certain genres. Many (but not all) of the titles available in hoopla are also searchable in the catalog. For a more complete search of hoopla, use the app or log on at www.hoopladigital.com.
Yes. hoopla has made it easier for children to browse for children’s materials, and for parents to feel confident letting kids browse on their own. “Kids Mode” can be implemented in the hoopla website and apps with the flip of a switch. Simply go to "Settings" in the website or app and toggle “Kids Mode” on. Until the mode is switched back off, only children’s materials will be offered in all of the hoopla formats.
Media items borrowed from hoopla return automatically after two or three days for video, seven days for music, and three weeks for eBooks, eComics, and eAudiobooks.
All items return automatically, so there are never any late fees.
Fort Bend County Libraries users are limited to 5 hoopla borrows per calendar month. You may borrow them all at the same time if you wish. Each episode of a TV series counts as one borrow.
Fort Bend County Libraries also has a daily limit for all of its users put together. If the library system reaches that limit during the day, you will see this message when you click on borrow:
"The collective daily borrow limit set by your library has been reached and will reset at midnight. Please browse and add titles to favorites so you can easily access them after midnight."
If you encounter this message, please “favorite” the title you wish to borrow, and return to your Favorites after the day resets at midnight to quickly return to and borrow the title.
Yes, but it is unnecessary. All items return automatically. Returning an item early will not affect your limit of 5 borrows per calendar month.
You can have separate hoopla accounts for each of the library cards in your family. Each account must have a unique email address associated with it. If you have a library card with another library system that also offers hoopla, you can create another account with that library system, but you will also need a unique email address for such an account.
The hoopla streaming media service provides eBooks and eAudiobooks (as well as streaming movies, TV episodes, music albums and eComics) which are ALWAYS available. OverDrive offers eBooks and eAudiobooks which are licensed for use by one borrower at a time.
Yes. The selection of titles offered in hoopla may change often. In a few cases, titles may overlap in the other eLibrary services.
With hoopla, all media can be streamed without downloading as long as you have an internet connection. If you would like to use your borrow on your mobile device while in airplane mode, you can first download the item to the hoopla app by clicking on the title and then clicking on "Download to your device."
If you forgot your hoopla password, click on “Forgot your password?” at www.hoopladigital.com to have a temporary password emailed to you at the address you used to register for hoopla.
Your hoopla log-in information is your email address and a password that you created when you first registered with FBCL’s hoopla service. You do not need to remember your library card number or library card password to log in to hoopla. That information is stored in the hoopla app or website for you.
During regular library business hours, please visit us or call us at 281-341-2605 to be connected to a librarian. To ask a question by email, contact digitalres@fortbend.lib.tx.us A librarian will reply to your email within two working days.
Click here to be taken to the hoopladigital.com help page.