Local company revolutionizes libraries - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

New technology developed right here in Northwest Ohio could revolutionize libraries across the country. Midwest Tape is a Holland based library service supplier and they have a new program called Hoopla.

It gives you access to everything in the library around the clock. The best part may be that you don't have to be a technology genius to use it. All you need is a library card and a mobile device or browser. They're testing it in places like Los Angeles, Seattle, Columbus and Toledo.

A massive warehouse in Holland supplies videos, audio books and music CDs to libraries throughout North America, Jeff Jankowski is the Vice President of Midwest Tape, "We have five thousand public library customers, we sold over 7 million units last year alone."

Midwest Tape has come a long way in short time. Jankowksi says they've gone from just two employees, 25 years ago, to 350 today,"We really started as a distributor, we basically took things from one box and put them in another box, but now we've really become a light manufacturer. We do shelf ready processing and customization for every big library system in the United States."

The newest project to come out of Midwest Tape is Hoopla,"It's a digital platform where you'll be able to borrow audio books, CDs and video with your library card and you can load it directly to your mobile device or browser."

Here's how it works. You register on-line with your library card and a pin. You can then look at music, TV shows, audio books and movies. Elaine Schlagheck is a digital specialist with Midwest Tape, "You just hit borrow and then play on your device. It is that simple, you don't have to be tech savvy to do this, which I like!"

Jankowski says the company gets paid based on usage,"There is no set up or maintenance fees of annual subscription, we only get paid if the system gets used."

One of first places Hoopla is being used is the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. It's one of seven library systems around the country testing it. Marilyn Zielinski is the Technical Services Manager, "In the next couple of weeks we will begin testing and training here at the library and sometime in April the testing will be open to our cardholders, so you want make sure you get a card."

The testing phase should be done late spring or early summer. Hoopla will then be rolled out throughout the summer into the fall at libraries across the country.