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Bklyn Public Library Offers Access to Thousands of Movies Online

Brooklyn Public Library partners with streaming service Kanopy, giving library cardholders access to more than 30,000 feature films, documentaries, foreign-language films and training videos Last Friday, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and New York Pub

Brooklyn Public Library partners with streaming service Kanopy, giving library cardholders access to more than 30,000 feature films, documentaries, foreign-language films and training videos

Brooklyn Public Library, public library, New York Public Library, BK Reader, Kanopy, Criterion Collection, streaming movies, streaming films, library card holders,

Last Friday, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and New York Public Library (NYPL) formed a partnership with the streaming service Kanopy to give library cardholders access to more than 30,000 feature films, documentaries, foreign-language films and training videos, reports the NY Times. The access also extends to the entire Criterion Collection, which includes hundreds of classic and contemporary films.

Library cardholders, ages 13 and older, can access both contemporary and popular movies, including films that may not be available on Netflix, Hulu or iTunes. In addition to the general collection Kanopy features, the service focuses on independent films, documentaries, classics and foreign films; it has also curated films with a specific local focus. Thus, the New York Public Library service features a selection of New York Times Critics' Picks.

Kanopy began in 2008 selling DVDs to university libraries in Australia with the goal to encourage learning through film while providing easy access to academic libraries. Since then, Kanopy has morphed into a reliable streaming service that has expanded into the United States and created partnerships with public libraries in 192 cities all across the country.

While millennials remain the major demographic for the streaming service, Kanopy hopes for a shift in its audience since the service is now available via public libraries.

Library cardholders can access the service via the libraries' homepage or by clicking the following links:  nypl.kanopystreaming.com, or bklynlibrary.kanopystreaming.com. Users need to create a login, consisting of the library card number and a PIN. They then have access to 10 films per month through the NYPL, or six movies per month through the Brooklyn branch. Films can be streamed anywhere, anytime from any smart device including smart phones, tablets, computers and TVs.

As of Monday morning, cardholders had already streamed a total of 20,749 minutes of film.




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