Hoopla Library Limit, What’s the Deal?

Have you ever found just what you wanted on Hoopla and clicked on Borrow, only to be met with this error message: The collective daily borrow limit set by your library has been reached and will reset at midnight. Please browse and add titles to favorites so you can easily access them after midnight.

Error message from Hoopla about the lending limit
Screenshot of Hoopla error message

What does that even mean? Let me explain. Nothing is wrong with your account. You haven't reached your limit, it's still 15 instant check-outs a month. Instead, the library has reached it's limit for the day. How does that happen? Well, the library pays for Hoopla monthly and Hoopla takes that monthly payment and divides it up by each day in that month. When you and other patrons check out items, each check-out costs something. eBooks have one cost and audiobooks another. So, as people find just what they want, it gets deducted from that daily amount. Eventually, all of the money for the day is gone and no one can check anything else out that day. The limit resets at midnight, so you can try again the next morning.

Information about the book A Cruel Light
Screenshot of an ebook record in Hoopla

We find that this most often happens at the beginning of the month, when everyone's credits reset and the end of the month as people are trying to use up their credits. It also happens more quickly when school is out, say for a snow day or spring break.