FAQs and Help Guides

While you don’t need special software, up-to-date drivers have remedied many connection problems. The drivers included with the card may be several generations old. Updates are usually available on the vendor’s website.

Check with the manufacturers for resolution. Some cards are more problematic than others, but upgrades are regularly available for the popular cards.

Viruses do not come from the network itself. They come from the Internet, often as attachments to e-mail. It is your responsibility to protect your device from viruses and hackers (e.g. by using up-to-date anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.)

For general questions about the Library's wireless network, email InfoService@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca. For specific questions about your hardware or software, contact the manufacturer.

  • Items can be checked out for a maximum of 3 weeks.
  • We cannot offer renewals due to the lending library’s due dates.

It is not possible to request the following from the ILL service:

  • Any item in the Ottawa Public Library catalogue including Reference.
  • CDs, MP3s, DVDs, and Video Games.
  • eBooks and eAudiobooks

Please note:

  • Some libraries may restrict the book to “In Library Use Only”, which means the material cannot be taken out of the library. ILL will identify these with an “In Library Use Only” sticker.
  • Microfilm and microfiche are always “In Library Use Only”.
  • There are no renewals on Interlibrary loan material.

The number of books you can check out and place on hold, per account, as well as the loan period for eBooks and eAudiobooks is dependent on the platform. Here is a helpful summary:

OverDrive (Libby app): 10 checkouts, 21-day loan period, 10 holds

TumbleBook Library: No checkouts or holds needed. All items are read within your browser.

CloudLibrary Express: 2 checkouts, no holds allowed, 7-day loan period.

CloudLibrary French eAudiobooks: 10 checkouts, 21-day loan period, 20 holds

Cantook (Canoo app or Aldiko app): 20 checkouts, 21-day loan period, 20 holds

Toutapprendre: Collections are always available, so no check out or holds are required. 

Hoopla: 6 checkouts a month for all Hoopla collections (music, movies, and comics), 21-day loan period. Collections are always available, so no holds are required. 

  • You will be notified by the method you selected on your library card account for holds.
  • The item will appear in your hold list on your library card account.
  • There is a cancel button on your Dashboard. Click on Log In/My OPL.  Under My Borrowing, click on My ILL requests.
  • You can also contact InfoService to request cancellations: 613-580-2940 or InfoService@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.
  • Please note, if the item has already been shipped by the lending library, then you will be charged any applicable loan and return postage fees.

 There are 2 ways to access ILL submissions.

  • From the home page, click on the drop down for your profile (usually Username), then click on “My Ottawa Public Library”.
  • From the catalogue, click on your profile (usually Username), then under MY EVENTS AND BOOKINGS, click on My ILL requests.                       

Once you get to the profile page, you now have 2 options, you can either click on ILL Submissions tab, this will bring you to a page that displays all ILLs and statuses, messages etc. OR you can scroll down and click on “Pending ILL Submissions”, this will show you only active ones. 

  • It is used as a tracking mechanism. It is a quick identifier for customers and library staff to ensure its return to the ILL department.  Leaving the pink band on will help avoid potential lost book fees.

What you will need

  • A valid Ottawa Public Library (OPL) card
  • A fast Internet connection (minimum 1Mbps for streaming videos)
  • If you’re using  a mobile device, you will need the Hoopla Digital app for iOS (7.1 or later), or Android (4.4 and up)

Creating an account

  1. Go to www.HooplaDigital.com.
  2. Click on Get Started Today.
  3. Enter your email, create a password and click on Next.
  4. Choose Ottawa Public Library (ON) from the menu and select Next.
  5. Enter your OPL card number and PIN. Click on the box that you agree to allow Hoopla Digital to exchange registration information with OPL and select Next.
  6. Review Hoopla's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.  If you agree to the terms, click on Sign Me Up.
  7. Once your account is created, you can start borrowing and downloading videos and music.

What kind of content does Hoopla Digital have?

  • It has wide collection of movies and television shows including feature films, documentaries, foreign films, television shows and educational programs.
  • Over 100,000 music albums and growing.

  • OPL does not currently subscribe to the e-audiobooks in Hoopla Digital. Please use our OverDrive and Audiobook Cloud collections instead.

Borrowing and streaming

  • You are allotted four (4) checkouts per month per card. 
  • Titles are always available.
  • Unused checkouts are not carried over to the next month. 
  • Your usage is reset on the last day of the month at 7:00 p.m. 
  • Loan periods are 72 hours for video, and seven (7) days for music. During the loan period content can be streamed repeatedly.
  • Content can be either downloaded or streamed through the Hoopla Digital app but only streamed through a PC or laptop.
  • Titles do not need to be returned.  They will automatically disappear once the borrowing period has ended.
  • Borrowed content can be accessed on multiple devices, but can only be played on one (1) device at a time.
  • The data used to stream Hoopla from the Internet at home or from your mobile device will count towards your Internet service provider’s monthly bandwidth cap. Watching a regular-length movie uses about 1GB of data for each stream of standard definition video.   Streaming an album uses about 35 MB of data.

 

What if I have other questions?

Database
Hoopla

eBooks are available from the Ottawa Public Library in English, French, and Chinese depending on their platform.

You can use eBooks and eAudiobooks from third parties on both OverDrive and Cantook as long they are in a specific format, usually EPUB or MP3. Please visit the individual app for more information.

If you have updated the system and the app is not working, the app may need to be updated as well. Check your app store for an update. If the app is updated and not working, try shutting down the device completely (not sleep mode) and restarting it after half a minute. If this does not work, you may need to delete and re-install the app on your device.

Most Downloadable Audiobooks come in multiple files. In order to receive the complete Audiobook, you need to wait until all the files are downloaded, you can check this by clicking on the "show files" option of your app's menu.

The most likely cause is that your device has not been authorized by your Overdrive Account or your Adobe ID. Verify this by selecting Settings or Account from your app menu, or by selecting Authorization Information from the Help menu of Adobe Digital Editions on your computer (in the case of E-readers).
There are various error messages you may encounter, requiring different solutions. To find the solution, access http://help.overdrive.com and search for the specific error message in question.

If you have downloaded an eBook or eAudiobooks to your device, you can travel with them anywhere. However, if you are using OverDriveRead or OverDriveListen, you will need a consistent internet connection.