Rogers Free Library has decided to end its Hoopla contract following a comprehensive review of costs, usage, and alignment with the library’s mission and collection standards.

Hoopla’s pay-per-use pricing model results in unpredictable and often escalating expenses, making it difficult to responsibly manage public funds and sustain the service long term. At the same time, much of Hoopla’s content overlaps with materials already available through other digital platforms or the library’s physical collection, reducing its overall value. Because the Hoopla catalog is vendor-controlled, the library has limited ability to curate materials, select or deselect individual titles, or ensure alignment with local community needs and the library’s collection development policies.

Usage data further indicate that costs are often driven by a small number of users rather than broad community benefit. Changes in vendor pricing and contract terms have compounded these challenges.

The library is also concerned by Hoopla’s expansion to include AI-generated materials, which raises questions about authorship, accuracy, editorial oversight, and transparency, and limits the library’s ability to meaningfully evaluate content quality.

Although Hoopla will no longer be available, Rogers Free Library patrons will continue to have access to a wide range of high-quality digital materials through other library services, including the OverDrive/Libby platform for ebooks and audiobooks and Kanopy for streaming movies. Ending the Hoopla contract allows the library to practice responsible fiscal stewardship, maintain professional collection standards, and strategically redirect resources toward sustainable, well-curated digital services that continue to meet community needs.