By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

DESTREHAN – The St. Charles Parish Library is now offering thousands of movies and television shows for free mobile and online viewing through a new partnership with Hoopla digital.
Library patrons can download the free Hoopla digital mobile app or visit the
program website to begin enjoying the thousands of titles available. These movies and television shows can be borrowed for instant streaming or temporarily downloaded to smartphones, tablets and computers.
Lauren Campo Pitz, a public relations and adult programming librarian at the library, said patrons won’t find recent blockbusters for download on the program, but will see a number of titles they may have overlooked before. Classic films, childrens’ movies and educational titles will also be available for viewing, she said.
“Fans of Ken Burns documentaries will love Hoopla’s selection. There are also two seasons of Anthony Bourdain’s ‘A Cook’s Tour.’ ‘Arthur,’ ‘Super Why,’ ‘Caillou,’ and other popular PBS shows are also featured,” said Pitz. “For people looking for exercise how-tos, Hoopla has a number of Jillian Michaels exercise videos, as well as yoga videos.”
Pitz said library administration is still working to get the word out about Hoopla, since they just went live with the program on Monday. The library staff hopes the new program will have a positive impact with patrons who are looking for more educational things to do online.
“We are always looking for ways to reach people. We will always have books and magazines, but we know
that more and more things are going online. People want online and mobile access to everything that they can.
We want the library to be the first place that our parish residents can look to for their educational and entertainment needs,” said Pitz.
Hoopla digital is available at no cost to St. Charles Parish Library patrons — only a library card is needed. All movies and television shows are availale anytime, and everything is automatically returned, eliminating late fees. Visit www.hoopladigital.com for more information.