The Boston Public Library offers many excellent alternatives for research, language learning, workforce development, and more. Whether you're a student, educator, job seeker, or lifelong learner, there are still plenty of valuable resources available to you.
Explore some of our top recommendations:
You can read the current edition of the Boston Globe for free with your BPL library card through the following platforms:
As of July 1, 2025, many statewide research databases are no longer available due to a major reduction in federal funding. This change stems from Executive Order 14238, signed on March 14, 2025, which eliminates the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — the primary federal funder of library services nationwide.
To learn more about the impact of this executive order, visit: libraries.state.ma.us/federal-funding-at-risk
Looking for alternatives?
The Boston Public Library continues to offer a wide range of databases that cover many of the same subjects. Explore Additional Research Resources in this blog post.
When users complete a course using LinkedIn Learning, they have the option to print out a certificate of completion. Currently, user names are not included on these certificates like they were before we migrated from Lynda.com.
The change was unexpected for us, so we're hoping LinkedIn Learning will find a solution. Currently however, names cannot be included on certificates offered through LinkedIn Learning for Libraries.
On March 2, 2021, we migrated our Lynda.com subscription to the new LinkedIn Learning platform. If you used Lynda.com through the BPL, you should find the experience mostly the same, if not better.
You can find out which online resources contain the full text of many journals by searching our e-journal portal.
You can check out an eBook using any of the resources on our Stream & Download page. You will need to use your library account to sign up for an account with each of those providers, and you will also need to download their apps, which you find when you visit the website for the resource or in our Downloadable Media resources.
Most of our ebooks will show up in a catalog search alongside print books and other materials. If you want to only see ebook results, you can:
Usually this means that your card needs to be renewed. You can renew your physical card at any BPL location by bringing proof of your identity and a Massachusetts address (a state-issued ID does both).
If you have an eCard, you can complete the renewal form online.
If your card is new or you're certain that it isn't due for expiration, get in touch with us at websupport@bpl.org.
A library card in good standing means there are no blocks on the card. A block could be in place for a number of reasons including but not limited to: an expired card, multiple overdue items, replacement cost fine(s) greater than $24.99, a trespass letter on file, more than one existing account, eCard ineligibility, or unreturned ComCat/ILL items.
Yes! The LinkedIn Learning app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play can be used with your library card.
Please report errors to websupport@bpl.org.
Most of our online resources are available through our website from wherever you’re connecting. All you need is a library card number. If you don’t have a card yet and you live, work, own property, or are a resident student for part of the year in Massachusetts, you can get an eCard online.
Due to licensing restrictions, some resources are only accessible from inside a BPL or MBLN location. These resources are marked as “in-library only.”
If a resource is not marked as “in-library only” and you are having trouble accessing it from another network, get in touch with us at websupport@bpl.org.
Usually yes, but the options vary by online resource.
Need some help with our online resources? Get in touch with one of our librarians at ask@bpl.org, or call us at 617.536.5400.
Yes. On bpl.overdrive.com, select the format “Kindle” in the catalog sidebar or the advanced search, or use the link below to see all books in our catalog in the Kindle format.
All BPL books in Kindle format on bpl.overdrive.com.
Alternatively, you can use the Libby app. Read Libby Help's articles on Kindle Books (U.S. only).
Some titles are unfortunately not offered as ebooks by the publisher. But if there is a particular ebook you’re looking for and aren't sure whether it's available electronically, visit our Suggest a Purchase page, opens a new window to tell us what you're looking for.
biblio+ is a new streaming service with a highly-curated selection of groundbreaking films and captivating television, from award-winners and nominees to independent discoveries, thoughtful documentaries, and everything in between. With biblio+, library members have unlimited access to this exciting, ad-free catalog of video content on many devices! All you need to get started is a library card.
There are no limits on the number of materials that can be watched per month or account.
To continue watching a movie or search find the title from “my watchlist” under settings in the upper right-hand corner of the screen or search or search for the title. Titles will stay on your watch list indefinitely.
No. At this time, biblio+ videos can only be streamed online, with an active internet connection. You cannot watch videos with mobile data.
Download the biblio+ app, or stream online at http://www.biblioplus.com/ (login is required).
Use your library card number and an email address to create a username and password to access biblio+.
After logging into your biblio+ account with your email account and password, click on Account and next to Libraries select Edit to update your library account information.
biblio+ is available on, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Google TV, and Chromecast.
Because biblio+ provides all of the titles, please contact biblio+ directly to suggest titles. The BPL cannot accommodate these requests.
Not at this time.
You can download the Flipster app from your device's app store. If you have a Kindle Fire, you can download it directly.
Search for Boston Public Library in the app and enter your library card number and PIN to get started.
The app is not required to access Flipster. You may also use your device's web browser to access it.
Flipster magazines don't have traditional loan periods like eBooks.
Some select titles will expire and will need to be deleted from your device after a set time, however. These titles display an expired icon and appear grayed out when no longer available to read. Select weekly titles may expire in 2 days while select monthly or seasonal titles may expire in 7 days. After they expire, these titles may be redownloaded if they are still available.
Yes! On your computer, open the most recent issue of a magazine and select the All Issues menu item in the right column to see all available issues. In the app, the back issues appear on the latest issue screen below the title's description.
You may download as many issues as you like. There is no limit and there are no hold lists.
Yes, printing is available when reading a magazine on a computer, but not from a mobile device or the iPad app. The print button is located towards the bottom of the right hand menu when viewing a magazine on a computer. The available print options are determined by the publisher. You may be able to print a single page, a range, or none at all.
No, unfortunately, Flipster doesn't send notifications at this time.
Each month BPL patrons receive 18 tickets. These tickets reset each month and do not roll over to the next month.
Depending on the length and viewing period of each title, movies in Kanopy will require between 0-5 tickets per viewing.
You can see your remaining tickets for the month in the top-right corner of the homepage.
Note: Kanopy Kids doesn't use tickets. You can access an unlimited number of Kanopy Kids titles each month.
These tickets reset each month and do not roll over to the next month. You can still borrow and watch titles that cost 0 tickets.
Visit the New and Novel Desk at the Central Library, check our calendar for computer instruction classes, or use Kanopy’s support site.
You can watch videos on a computer or mobile device using a web browser.
You will need an internet connection to watch videos on Kanopy. Films cannot be downloaded to a computer or device; they only stream through the internet.
Kanopy is compatible with the streaming service, Roku. Other alternatives to stream to your television include:
No. At this time, Kanopy videos can only be streamed online, with an active internet connection. You cannot watch videos with mobile data.
Because Kanopy provides all of the titles, please contact Kanopy directly to suggest titles. The BPL cannot accommodate these requests.
All films have closed captions, subtitles and transcripts that are fully ADA compliant.
You can save titles to watch at a later date by clicking on +My List. You can access the +My List option by either hovering over the title, or clicking on the title, either way will work. Titles are then added to your Watchlist. You can see the saved titles by clicking on your username at the top of the page.
You can also create and share playlists of videos using the playlists feature.
Log into your Kanopy account, located in the upper right side of the Kanopy site. Select "My Memberships" from the drop-down menu. Click on the orange "Add a New membership" button to add another library. Follow the instructions on the page.
After logging into your Kanopy account with your email account and password, click on My Dashboard and select the orange "Edit library card" button.
You can track your viewing activity by visiting My Dashboard > Recently Viewed. The Recently Viewed page will list every video you have ever watched, even after the 72-hour period has ended. If a video is still within the 72-hour viewing period, the list will include the amount of time left on that viewing period.
Sometimes these messages are filtered to your Spam or Junk Mail folders. Be sure to check these folders and allow kanopy@kanopystreaming.com to send messages to your Inbox.
The OverDrive app was discontinued on May 1, 2023. This was our vendor OverDrive's decision, not the Boston Public Library's decision.
We encourage you to make the switch to OverDrive's Libby app, opens a new window.
Here is OverDrive's Libby Help guide for OverDrive app users, opens a new window.
Access to our OverDrive site, opens a new window will remain available.
You can borrow up to ten titles from OverDrive at a single time. These do not count toward the limit of seventy-five physical loans at a time on your library card.
OverDrive lends eBooks and audiobooks for up to fourteen days. If you prefer, you can select shorter loan periods for each format individually in your account.
In some cases, the loan period is set by the publisher and will vary from the above. When this happens, the loan period will be displayed at checkout.
Yes, so long as no one else has a hold and is waiting for them. Renewing is only possible in the OverDrive platform or the Libby app and will not work from your main BPL account page. You can also borrow the title again after it expires.
Some OverDrive materials can be renewed up to three days before expiration. Check the loan for details.
OverDrive materials that cannot be renewed can be borrowed again after your loan expires, so long as there are no other users waiting with an active hold.
You can have up to ten titles on hold in OverDrive.
Yes, your borrowing history from the discontinued OverDrive app and our OverDrive site will appear on your timeline in Libby.
This will happen automatically, but you can also manually load your card's borrowing history.
Once OverDrive loans are on your timeline, you can tag them as "borrowed" in Libby.
Learn more about exceptions and other information on Libby Help.
Check your holds at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/holds or through the Libby app.
If your hold isn’t on that page, get in touch with us at websupport@bpl.org.
Usually, yes. Navigate to your checkouts page on OverDrive and look for a button marked “Return” or return your book through the Libby app.
Note: OverDrive titles are only renewable on the OverDrive account page or through the Libby app and cannot be renewed from your checkouts page on our webpage.
Visit the New and Novel Desk at the Central Library, check our calendar for computer instruction classes, use Overdrive’s Support site, or contact Web Services at the Boston Public Library at websupport@bpl.org
OverDrive's direct email is support@overdrive.com
You can also contact OverDrive's Libby Support using these instructions.
Let us know at websupport@bpl.org. Include the title and your card number, and we can force-return the loan so you can borrow it again or rejoin the hold queue.
You should still be able to see your active holds, checkouts, and other digital activity when you log in with your new library card credentials.
However, if we need to create a whole new borrower record for you though, we may need to transfer your activity to the new account. You can email us at websupport@bpl.org to transfer your holds and checkouts in OverDrive to your new card. Please send the old and new library card numbers.
When using OverDrive, you can search each Massachusetts library's system's collection, and use your library card to check out a title from any of them.
On the OverDrive website, there is a link to "partner libraries" at the top, which you can use to visit their collections and check out or place a hold on titles.
In the Libby app, you can add other library systems as a library and search through them to check out or places holds on their titles. All holds and checkouts will show up in one spot on your account.
For more information, see the FAQ "How do I add a card for a partner library in Libby?"
Here are instructions on how to add a card for a partner library in Libby; you can add all 7 of our partner libraries at once using your same Boston Public Library card number and PIN.
You can see a list of our partner libraries on the BPL's OverDrive site in the top right corner. They are:
Note: Some partner libraries may place limits on visiting library cards. For example, when you visit a partner library, you may have a lower checkout limit, lower priority for holds, or the inability to place holds.
If you've added multiple partner libraries in Libby, you can easily see which of your saved libraries has the best availability for a title.
Visit Libby Help to see how to check if a title is available at multiple libraries.
Libby supports multiple languages including English, Spanish (Latin America), Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Russian, Danish, French (Canada), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Swedish, Tamil, Danish, and Icelandic. Review Libby Help for a full list of supported languages and steps to change your language in the app.
See our OverDrive World Language Collection of eBooks, magazines, and audiobooks.
You may also be interested in our World Language Collections at the Boston Public Library featuring materials (books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, newspapers, and more) in Arabic, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Haitian-Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Libby by OverDrive is now available to download from the Amazon Appstore. Going forward, if you have an Amazon Fire tablet you should download Libby directly from the Amazon Appstore instead of manually sideloading the app.
Additional details:
You can download supplementary content from our OverDrive site on a computer, then use the free Adobe Digital Editions software to open it.
Note: You'll need to authorize Adobe Digital Editions to download supplementary content.
Yes, so long as you have a physical BPL card or an eCard.
Hoopla can be used in a web browser at hoopladigital.com or with its app on iOS, Android, and Amazon devices. You will need your library card number and an email address to get started.
You can check out seven items from Hoopla per calendar month.
To suggest titles for purchase please log into your library account and complete the form “submit a suggestion” found in your library dashboard.
You can borrow movies and TV shows for seventy-two hours. Music albums are loaned for seven days. eBooks and comics expire after twenty-one days.
Click on the item you wish to return early and select the link to “return now” next to its due date.
Visit the New and Novel Desk at the Central Library, check our calendar for computer instruction classes, use Hoopla’s support site or contact websupport@bpl.org.
You can search for an individual newspaper, magazine, or journal in our eJournal Portal. If we have a particular publication, you’ll find a list of the databases to which the BPL provides access along with a link to the publication in each.
Need some help with our online resources? Get in touch with one of our librarians by email at ask@bpl.org, or call us at 617.536.5400.
Powered by BiblioCommons.
BiblioWeb: webapp01 Version 4.28.0 Last updated 2025/07/14 11:16
