Library Update-December 19, 2014

library update | 1

2014 turned out to be quite a newsmaker for all of us, didn’t it?

This past year has painted an amazing canvas composed of partner wins, performance enhancements, patron firsts, and some pretty impressive PR nods of approval. In a nutshell, one could say 2014 came and went with lots of hoopla, and is now giving way to a year sure to be filled with tons more.

A year of growing – getting stronger and smarter– together.

The last twelve months have brought with them many stories of growth, the first (and best) of which were the stories you shared with us about the cost savings you’ve begun to realize with our cost-per-circ model. We’re ecstatic, as we know you are (and will be), as we know this story will only grow better over time as we provide more formats and content for your patrons to experience, explore, and enjoy.

One milestone reached in early April of 2014: the largest library in North America, the Toronto Public Library, launched hoopla to much fanfare, excitement, and new cardholder sign-ups. While significant in itself due to the size of the library,

December 19, 2014 | 23rd Edition

hoopla 2014: Year in Review

library update

this launch opened eyes (our own and others) to the potential and value of working together in bringing awareness to patrons, both current and prospective. Since then, we’ve had the privilege to onboard many, many more library partners (large, medium, and small), nearly 500 systems, to be exact, across the U.S. and Canada, and to work with them in service to their patrons.

In fact, our view of service to patrons – our belief in true patron-driven acquisition – has been a catalyst for much of our own growing list of performance enhancements over the past year. From developing relationships with an ever-expanding list of content vendors to forming new industry partnerships, such as Boopsie and SirsiDynix, hoopla has kept patron expectation and experience foremost in mind. To make sure the experience continues to be the best it can be for patrons, with your feedback hoopla developers have been continually monitoring and making improvements to the hoopla platform across our mobile app and the library admin site.

2 | library update

2015 Planning Meeting | hoopla digital Dec 4, 2014

A year of building the buzz – coast to coast, north to south.

Just as exhilarating as the growth that’s occurred over 2014 is the buzz that’s been building surrounding what hoopla means and can do for our library partner communities. From coast to coast and north to south, the names of our library partners and hoopla have been filling the news headlines through a variety of media outlets, as

well as taking center stage in a number of public events.

In terms of community events, what started as a grassroots hoopla effort at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Fort Myers last March, to give 20,000 attendees a glimpse into all the services available at Lee County Library System, has grown into some highly creative patron-engaging activities by partner libraries across the U.S. and Canada.

library update | 3

2015 Planning Meeting | hoopla digital Dec 4, 2014

They range from in-branch videos to direct links from the hoopla platform to library-customized collections to hoopla-loaded iPads for school classroom use.

All throughout the year, news stations around the country have been bringing public library awareness to life with viewers and listeners as these partners launch hoopla. With headlines like “Dewey Decimal Goes Hollywood” and “Transforming Public Libraries into Digital Hubs for Movies and Music” appearing in communities like Phoenix and Chicago, the public library and hoopla are being brought top of mind. Our particular favorite is from an economics author interview in Portland, OR, who offered the unsolicited comment, “[hoopla] is

one of the best apps of the year!” If you want to hear the entire interview, here is the video link: http://www.katu.com/amnw/segments/How-to-Stretch-Your-Entertainment-Dollar-282447361.html

So, as we close out 2014, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your participation and support this past year…and to invite you to keep the buzz going by sharing the “Holidays with hoopla” campaign and collection with your patrons. We look forward to a wonderful 2015 with you!