Salina Public Library Ends Hoopla, Redirects Funding to Lower-Cost Libby

Salina Public Library will discontinue Hoopla at the end of November and shift most of that digital-materials spending to Sunflower eLibrary through Libby, a move the library says is aimed at reducing costs while preserving access to ebooks and audiobooks.

The change comes as the library has been reviewing expenses across several areas and preparing for future funding changes.

According to the library’s Sept. 10 announcement, Hoopla will remain available through Nov. 30. The library said Hoopla’s pay-per-use model is “no longer fiscally sustainable” compared with the lower average cost of circulation through Sunflower eLibrary and Libby.

The library reported that in 2026, Hoopla cost about $2.42 per checkout, compared with about 86 cents per checkout for Salina patrons using Sunflower eLibrary through Libby.

Usage also differs significantly between the two platforms. In 2025, the library reported 35,531 Hoopla checkouts by 1,393 unique users, compared with 139,988 Libby checkouts by 2,893 users.

Through July 2026, library board records show 81,909 Sunflower eLibrary checkouts and 20,852 Hoopla checkouts.

The library said the majority of funding currently used for Hoopla will be redirected into Libby, where it expects the additional investment to increase the number of available titles and help reduce wait times.

The Sept. 10 release does not state the library’s total annual Hoopla spending, the exact dollar amount that will be redirected, or the expected annual savings from eliminating the service.

The Two Services Are Not Identical

Hoopla and Libby use different lending models.

Hoopla generally allows patrons to borrow available titles immediately, while Libby relies more heavily on licensed copies and waitlists for popular material.

Hoopla also offers a broader mix of digital content, including movies, television, music, comics, ebooks and audiobooks.

The library’s announcement focuses primarily on expanding access to ebooks and audiobooks through Libby. It does not specify whether every type of content currently available through Hoopla will have a direct replacement after Nov. 30.

Decision Comes During Broader Cost Review

The Hoopla change is part of a broader review of library expenses.

In its August board packet, the library said it was reviewing costs throughout the organization to identify opportunities to reduce expenses, find alternatives and improve value.

Examples included changing trash service from a smaller dumpster with twice-weekly pickup to a larger dumpster with once-weekly service, producing a stated monthly savings of $173.38 before surcharges. The library also said it had discontinued Olark Chat because of increasing costs and was evaluating alternatives as part of a planned website redesign.

The library also noted a cost increase for Consumer Reports, from $3,439 in 2025 to $3,611 in 2026, and said it was reviewing that platform’s usage and features.

Tax Revenue and Future Funding

The August packet also shows the library has experienced modest gaps between requested and received property-tax revenue.

For 2025, the General Fund shortfall was $18,242, while the Employee Benefit Fund shortfall was $4,202. In 2024, those gaps were $36,615 and $9,550, respectively.

The records do not state that those shortfalls directly caused the Hoopla decision.

A separate future funding issue is also approaching. The library’s August packet says the Central Kansas Library System’s 2027 system plan is expected to reduce Salina Public Library funding in 2028 by about 50%, or approximately $50,000.

Again, the records do not directly link that future reduction to the decision to eliminate Hoopla, but it is part of the financial environment the library is managing.

At the same time, the library’s proposed 2027 budget was below the revenue-neutral rate, meaning it was not proposing to collect more property-tax revenue than the state’s revenue-neutral calculation would allow.

What Changes for Patrons

Hoopla will remain available through Nov. 30.

After that, the library plans to rely more heavily on Sunflower eLibrary through Libby for digital books and audiobooks.

The available records show the shift is primarily a cost and usage decision: Libby has substantially higher circulation and a lower average cost per checkout, while Hoopla carries a higher pay-per-use cost.

What is not yet clear from the public information is how much the library expects to save overall, exactly how much money will be added to Libby, and whether all of Hoopla’s non-book digital content will be replaced through another service.