Skip to Main Content

Comics & Graphic Novels: ...online via Boston Public Library

Getting a BPL eCard

If you live (permanently or seasonally because of school), work (on-campus jobs count!), or own property in MA, you can get a Boston Public Library eCard. I highly suggest doing this because they have access to a bunch of great digital comics, but first you need a card number and PIN!

If you commute to UMD while living in RI, and don't have a job in MA, it's possible you can still use Hoopla because your home public library has access to it. Investigate it and then use the Hoopla box to figure out how to use it. I'm happy to help you figure this out!

Signing up for Hoopla

If you have a library card that has Hoopla access, click on the "GET STARTED TODAY" link.

This will prompt you to make a Hoopla account.

Next, you need to select a library. It'll suggest some based on your location, but if you have a BPL eCard, type in Boston Public Library (they give you more check outs than your local public library, so use it if you have it!).

After that you'll be prompted for that barcode and PIN. After you click "Sign up," you're ready to go!

Getting comics in Hoopla

When you're logged into Hoopla on a computer, your home page will look something like this:

Screenshot of the Hoopla homepage once you've logged in.  

If you hover over "Browse," you'll see one of the options is comics. Within comics, you can browse several categories such as Recommended (based on stuff you've liked or checked out), Featured (my bet is that they're getting paid to feature them), Popular, Publishers (browse by publishers!), Recent, and Categories (thematic ones).

Screenshot of the options to browse comics on Hoopla. Text aligns with paragraph above.

When you find one you want to read right now, click on the title and then click "Borrow." They read well on a computer but are best on a tablet.

(Download the app on your phone or tablet for other reading options! It usually takes you immediately to the same page as on the web (your checkouts), it just looks kinda different because off the size of your screen.)