From fairy tales to rom-coms, documentaries, dramas, horror, and more, Kanopy Video Streaming is an online resource with a huge variety of films-- and you can access them anytime, for free, with your Cromaine Library card! As we await the warmer weather of spring, we are so excited to cozy up with a warm drink and enjoy some great movies and documentaries. With Kanopy, you can stream from a collection of over 30,000 films, just by creating a Kanopy account with your Cromaine Library card. Plus, the collection is always rotating, so you're always sure to find something new to enjoy! There's no need for expensive major streaming services this winter, when you have a free film resource with your Library card-- plus, with the sister page to Kanopy called Kanopy Kids, you can find engagement and learning for your littlest viewers, too!
If you've never used Kanopy before, you're in for a treat! This online resource is easy to access from Cromaine's website and is simple to use. Let's dive into the basics of accessing and navigating Kanopy, the ticketing system for film access, the child-friendly Kanopy Kids page, and some movie collections that are available on Kanopy now!
Accessing and Navigating Kanopy
Let's create a Kanopy account! From Cromaine's Borrow tab, toggle to Download and Stream to view the digital library. From here, you can click the Kanopy Video Streaming button to open Kanopy's homepage. If you've never created an account before, you can click the large, red Add A Library Card button! Enter in your Cromaine Library card number and, in the space below it, your PIN. If you're unsure of your PIN number, try using either the last four digits of your phone number, or try the default PIN, 1234. After this, you can enter an email address and password to finalize your free Kanopy account!
Once you're logged in, you can explore the main Kanopy page. Scroll through a variety of film collections that are updated regularly, including Fantasy Films in February, New Releases, and more-- or, click "Browse" at the top, left side of the homepage to scroll through Kanopy's new additions, popular films, and films by genre!
If there's a particular title or topic that you'd like to find, click "Search" on the top menu of the homepage to look for films! You can even refine your search with various filters, like Language, Genre, and more.
As you peruse movies, you can click on each film title to read more details. Let's say I'm in a spooky mood, and I want to watch The Ring. I can click on the film title for an expanded view of the movie, including a description, rating, and length. I can also choose to watch the movie now, or I can save it to my Watchlist to come back to later.
Notice that, between the Play button and the Watchlist button, there is also information about tickets, and an access timeframe, listed for the film.
Kanopy's Ticketing System
Tickets are "credits" for film access, and different films will have a different number of tickets required for viewing. Cromaine Library offers cardholders thirty tickets per month to use on Kanopy. As we can see in the image above, watching The Ring will require two tickets, and I'll have 72 hours (three days) to finish the movie once I press Play. You will have less tickets the more movies you watch, but they will reset to thirty at the beginning of each month, and any leftover tickets at the end of the month do not roll over to the next month-- so use them up and enjoy! If you're curious, you can learn more about the Kanopy ticket system here.
Kanopy Kids
If you're looking for free entertainment & learning opportunities for your little ones, you're sure to enjoy Kanopy Kids! This curated collection of children's entertainment is focused on ages 2-8, and can be accessed by clicking the "Kids" button on the top right side of your main Kanopy page. Your littles can enjoy unlimited video plays (no tickets required), and you can set parental controls that ensure children can't view Kanopy materials outside of the Kids page. With parental controls enabled, a pin number is required to navigate back to the main Kanopy page.
Kanopy Kids features a huge variety of videos, from Storybook videos to read-alongs, bedtime stories, and more. You can learn more about using Kanopy Kids here!
Movie Lists and Kanopy Recommendations
As you familiarize yourself with Kanopy, you can enjoy scrolling through the many available films on the main page, which are organized into thematic categories that rotate regularly. When you're logged into Kanopy, explore films in categories like these!
- Fantasy Films in February, including movies like The Life of Chuck, Mars Attacks, Life After Beth, The Secret of Kells, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 13 Going on 30, and Ella Enchanted.
- Black History Month, featuring films like The Watermelon Woman, Sorry to Bother You, Strange Fruit, The Black Candle, and The United States of Detroit.
- Academy Award Winners and Nominees, which includes movies like Catch Me If You Can, There Will Be Blood, Anora, and The Big Short.
- New Releases, such as Rabbit Trap, Lee, The Monkey, Fog of War, American Cats, and Pompeii's Secret Underworld.
- Newly Added Documentaries, including films like Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, MegaDoc, Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert, Capturing Water, and Break the Game!
There's something for everyone on Kanopy, and you can access it for free with your Library card! Get started on Kanopy here, and see a video overview of Kanopy, along with some great movie recommendations for February, with Librarian Erik here! You'll find yourself with a huge watchlist in no time.
Erik is challenging himself to use up all thirty of his Kanopy tickets by the end of the month by watching movies-- primarily romantic comedies. In his second February challenge video, found here, he recommends even more great movies that you can watch now on Kanopy!
Have a fantastic February, and stay cozy-- spring is around the corner!