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Anyone With A Library Card Can Now Stream Thousands Of Feature Films, Including The Criterion Collection

By

Jen Carlson

Published Aug 3, 2017

Modified Aug 3, 2017

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By

Jen Carlson

Published Aug 3, 2017

Modified Aug 3, 2017

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In July, LAist announced that you could stream hundreds of movies from the Criterion Collection for free if you had a Los Angeles Public Library card. We immediately reached out to the New York Public Library inquiring about our own hidden benefits as library card holders, and at the time they did not offer access to Kanopy's streaming service, which the LAPL uses. But lo and behold, they have now decided to add it (you're welcome?)—starting Friday August 4th, anyone with a library card (both NYPL and Brooklyn Public Library) will have access to hundreds of movies. Here's what you need to know:

nyplkanopy17a.jpg
Bonus: Kanopy has an easily searchable site.

Kanopy offers a broad selection of more than 30,000 feature films, documentaries, foreign language, and training videos. And yes, as part of the Kanopy subscription, you will have access to the Criterion Collection (around 400 movies), which focuses on licensing "important classic and contemporary films."

Don't have a library card? You can get one instantly through the NYPL's SimplyE app; that card will get you immediate access to hundreds of thousands of NYPL e-books, but for physical materials and any other databases (like Kanopy), you will need to go to a branch, and "upgrade" your e-card to a full access library card.

More information on getting a NYPL card can be found here; and more on getting a BPL card can be found here.

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Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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