Image courtesy of Kanopy.
Kanopy, an on-demand streaming service with over 30,000 movies from feature films to hard-to-find titles, is now free to use for Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) cardholders, it was announced this week.
LBPL joins approximately 200 other library systems across the country, including the Los Angeles Public Library and New York Public Library, in paying for its patrons to be able to watch Kanopy’s content. Users can access the film database through any computer or device with an internet connection, through Roku, as well as apps for iOS and Android.
“Kanopy is a home for an audience that wants to be entertained and enriched by stories locally and from around the globe,” Kanopy CEO Olivia Humphrey said. “Our award winning films are not only engaging but also highlight important issues that broaden perspectives and views of the world. Our diverse collection also includes films of relevance to local communities.”
Humphrey pointed out the collection, Films About Los Angeles, where 52 titles from Made in L.A., an Emmy award-winning documentary following three Latina immigrants working in garment sweatshops in Los Angeles, to All the Light in the Sky, a movie about a Hollywood actress navigating her career as her age begins to exempt her from opportunity, are available to watch.
Works from The Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, Kino Lorber, PBS and thousands of independent filmmakers are a part of Kanopy’s collection, as well as documentaries, feature films, rare titles, TV programs and classic films.
“With the motto of ‘thoughtful entertainment,’ Kanopy seeks to provide library customers with access to films of unique social and cultural value; films that are often difficult or impossible to access elsewhere, and programming that features diversity, with a wide array of foreign language films and films on race, LGBT and many others,” the release stated.
Expect to be selective with what you choose to watch, however, since you won’t be able to blow through title after title during a night of binge watching. There’s a limit to how many movies you can watch per month with the LBPL allowing users three titles, while libraries can choose to pay for up to 20 films per month.
“Long Beach Library’s mission is to provide resources to a culturally diverse population representing all points of view, supporting lifelong learning and intellectual curiosity,” Humphrey said. “Kanopy’s unique collections help libraries like Long Beach deliver on their missions with our rich collection of local and foreign movies and documentaries.”
Users can sign up for Kanopy here.