The Straight Download

A podcast for library professionals and anyone interested in the digital publishing industry. In each episode, Hoopla’s Jeff Jankowski and Ann Ford dive into current trends and share valuable insights.

The Straight Download is a technology podcast hosted by Hoopla Digital, with 23 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Hoopla Digital hosts The Straight Download, a technology show with 23 episodes published.

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  Episode #18

  Episode 18: The Straight Download — When the Math Isn't Mathing

  Sep 4, 202648 minS2

  Every library director knows the budget moment: the line-item review where you ask what you can live without. For Shannon Midyett, Director of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library, Hoopla was on that list, and she was ready to cut it. But when she dug into the real cost-per-circ numbers and her own unique-borrower data, the math sent her in the opposite direction. Shannon joins hosts Ann Ford and Jeff Jankowski to share how she went looking for a reason to cancel a service and came out defending it to her board instead.

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  Episode #17

  Episode 17: The Straight Download — Libraries As Community Infrastructure

  Aug 14, 202648 minS2

  Say "library" and most people picture shelves and a due date. Walk in today and you'll find a social worker, a family escaping the heat, someone drafting a business plan. Host Ann Ford, joined by special guest co-host Trenton Smiley, talks with Annie Miskewitch from Schaumburg Township District Library about deciding what libraries can take on—and let go.

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  Episode #16

  Episode 16: The Straight Download — One Year After Connecticut's eBook Law

  Jul 2, 202632 minS2

  <p>Recorded live from ALA Annual 2026 in Chicago, this episode tackles one of the biggest challenges facing libraries today: the future of eBook access. Ann and Jeff are joined by Ellen Paul of the Connecticut Library Consortium to examine the impact of Connecticut's groundbreaking eBook law, escalating digital content costs, and the growing national movement for reform. It's a timely conversation about advocacy, collection development, and how libraries can build sustainable digital collections for the future.</p>

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  Episode #16

  Episode 16: The Straight Download — One Year After Connecticut's eBook Law

  Jul 2, 202632 minS2

  Recorded live from ALA Annual 2026 in Chicago, this episode tackles one of the biggest challenges facing libraries today: the future of eBook access. Ann and Jeff are joined by Ellen Paul of the Connecticut Library Consortium to examine the impact of Connecticut's groundbreaking eBook law, escalating digital content costs, and the growing national movement for reform. It's a timely conversation about advocacy, collection development, and how libraries can build sustainable digital collections for the future.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #15

  Episode 15: The Straight Download — AI, Access & Accountability

  Jun 5, 202637 minS2

  <p>AI is transforming digital collections faster than ever. In our latest episode, Ann and Jeff sit down with Matt Schimmoeller, Hoopla’s Director of Digital Operations to explore what the surge in AI generated eBooks means for libraries. They also discuss how Hoopla is addressing the challenge. Tune in for a conversation on access, accountability, and what comes next.</p>

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