Yonkers Public Library
Yonkers Public Library
Kanopy logo on screen of thumbnail movie poster images

#DigitalTuesday Spotlight: Kanopy

This is the second in a series of posts highlighting some of the valuable (but not always well-known) digital resources you have access to as a YPL cardholder. Click here for the full list of #digitaltuesday posts.

It’s #digitaltuesday! YPL subscribes to dozens of apps, research databases, and digital content libraries for books, movies and comic books. You can find the full list of these resources by visiting the YPL Research page at ypl.org/research. Every week you’ll learn about one of these digital resources that would normally cost you money to subscribe to – but that you get for free with your library card! This week we’re looking at Kanopy – a video streaming platform like Netflix or Hulu. Unlike those platforms you won’t need to pay a monthly subscription fee and you’ll be able to watch up to 20 titles per month for free if you have a YPL card.

kanopy logo (white text on black background)Kanopy offers over access to over 30,000 works, including documentaries, classic movies, indie flicks, and foreign language films. Kanopy is the perfect streamer for documentary lovers and film aficionados, since many titles on Kanopy—including films from iconic production companies and distributors like The Criterion Collection, NEON, Samuel Goldwyn Films, HISTORY, A&E, First Run Features, and Kino Lorber—are unavailable elsewhere. Other content partners include A24 and the Great Courses. Kanopy offers a rich selection of titles covering LGBTQ+, multicultural, and disabilities subjects, and curates playlists based on relevant and timely events, such as the war in Ukraine.

To get started with Kanopy:

  1. Go to Westchester Library System’s Kanopy page at: https://www.kanopy.com/en/wls
  2. Click “Add Library Card”
  3. Enter your 14 digit YPL library card number and PIN. Don’t have a card yet? Apply here.
  4. After entering this information, you’ll create your Kanopy account. You’ll use this account to log in to Kanopy. All you’ll need is to enter you name, email address and a password. 

Once you have an account you can create your own watchlists and custom playlists.

The Kanopy app is available through the App Store and Google Play, along with all major smart TVs and streaming devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Smart TV. Click here for links to Kanopy TV apps.

Happy watching!