Your Library Card Will No Longer Get You Free Streaming Movies Through Kanopy
June 25, 2019, 3:39 p.m.
The streaming service was free for library cardholders, but that stops on July 1st.
In 2017, a relatively unknown streaming service called Kanopy announced that many library card holders around the country, including those in NYC, would have unlimited free access to their large catalog of films, including many from the Criterion Collection. With most streaming services costing around $10 a month, the offering of a free service (and with so many films) with your free library card was almost too good to be true. And alas, the deal is now off the table as of July 1st. Turns out the library was basically subsidizing your streaming habits.
The announcement came this week from Kanopy, in an email to subscribers from CEO and founder Olivia Humphrey. The email read, in part, that "the New York, Queens, and Brooklyn Public Libraries have decided to discontinue Kanopy's film streaming service to its patrons... although we are disappointed by this decision, we understand that New York City’s libraries’ current priorities lie with other programs that also advance their mission." The message concluded, "We are grateful for these libraries’ support of Kanopy for the past several years and we will continue to work with them to explore opportunities to partner again in the future."
Given how popular the service was, it was a given that there would be some online outrage at the decision.
I got an email from @Kanopy too! Wow cutting right through @nypl @BKLYNlibrary @QPLNYC to activate their 'base' to pressure libraries into a high-priced deal. @Kanopy email me the details about how much you want NYC libraries to pay you? I suspect it's #waytoomuch pic.twitter.com/n49BkSwvC3
— Polly Thistlethwaite (@MissReadings) June 24, 2019
How much is @Kanopy (a privately held, for-profit company) charging libraries, that some are having to drop the service? It may be that #Kanopy, not NYPL, is the proper target for any petitions/campaigns.
— ͏William Avery Hudson (@WAveryHudson) June 24, 2019
The NYPL released a statement of their own, noting that they believe "the cost of Kanopy makes it unsustainable for the Library, and that our resources are better utilized purchasing more in-demand collections such as books and e-books." The Brooklyn and Queens Public Libraries also released similar statements:
We understand many patrons are disappointed that we will no longer offer Kanopy as of July 1. Unfortunately, rising costs made it unsustainable. With careful consideration, we decided to use our resources on more in-demand collections like audiobook & e-book licenses.
— BKLYN Library (@BKLYNlibrary) June 24, 2019
While we understand that our cardholders enjoyed Kanopy, the increasing cost and the need to devote our resources to other priority services and materials that are in higher demand make it unsustainable. We thank you for your understanding. https://t.co/0ctjukQstP pic.twitter.com/NCesyG3xgO
— Queens Public Library (@QPLNYC) June 24, 2019
A spokesperson for the NYPL told Gothamist that as their user base increased, the cost to the NYPL climbed, as Kanopy employs a pay-per-view model. That means the library paid $2 each time a patron watched a video for at least 30 seconds. This usage-based pricing model also made the cost to the libraries unpredictable.
While the NYPL attempted to work out a deal with Kanopy that would allow them to responsibly continue offering the streaming service to New Yorkers, a deal was not agreed upon, according to the spokesperson. Since "only about 25,000 of our 2 million cardholders use Kanopy," they decided to put their funding towards other materials, including books and e-books.
According to Variety, "The Queens Public Library said only about 6,000 of its 1 million cardholders used the service and that Kanopy was planning to raise the subscription rate to about $125,000 annually." (The NYC libraries are not the first to part ways with Kanopy; Stanford University also ended their deal last year.)
While the NYPL does not currently have an alternative video streaming option, they are exploring alternatives. In the meantime, your library card in any of these boroughs will still get you access to an incredible amount of books, other invaluable resources, DVDs, and don't forget about their Culture Pass program, which offers you free access to museums.
