Are you done foraging through Netflix, Hulu and all those other streaming services? Are you looking for a wide selection of documentaries, indie films, educational courses, classics, award nominees and a kids section? Then grab your library card and climb up into the Kanopy to enjoy a wide selection of movies, TV shows and videos you won’t find elsewhere!
Kanopy looks very similar to Netflix, so anyone familiar with that platform will be able to jump right in. Even if you’re not familiar, it’s very simple to learn, like browsing movies on a shelf. The platform organizes videos into categories if you are looking for something specific. Examples include Global Health Insights, Directed by Women, Pioneering Black Filmmakers, Immigration in the 21st Century, Oscar Winners and Nominees, Arthouse Favorites, The Criterion Collection and The Great Courses. You can watch films such as Moonlight, Loving Vincent, Lady Bird, A Man Called Ove and so many others.
When you decide what to watch, the video player has a wealth of options. It offers a selection of speeds at which to view the videos and closed captions. An “add to list” button lets you collect videos to watch later. You can also create a playlist and then create clips from your videos. Other available options are transcripts of the dialogue and even a citation tool with readymade citations in all the main styles, so you don’t plagiarize.
Kanopy uses a credits system for videos you can watch. Every patron gets ten credits to “spend” on ten videos of their choice per month. Generously, Kanopy also has a selection of videos that don’t cost credits. These include the entire Great Courses collection, the Kanopy Kids collection and a selection from the main collection.
Kanopy Kids features movies, TV seasons, animated storytime books, history, science, languages and much more. Looking for something educational while the kids are home from school? Kanopy has you covered with Little Pim languages, a Nelson Mandela biography and Dinosaur Train. Are you looking for entertaining storytimes in addition to those our children’s librarians put on? Kanopy has you covered with titles like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Scaredy Squirrel and Where the Wild Things Are.
Kanopy can be accessed online here and also on Android, iOS, Chromecast, Roku and Samsung devices, so why not get a great view from the Kanopy?
Written by and posted on behalf of Fountaindale staff member Chris Castle, Cataloger