PC Doctor October 25, 2021

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Dear PC Doctor:

I’m looking for some fun Halloween movies for my kids to watch during an upcoming sleepover. I have my Boston Public Library ecard and I know there’s stuff on Hoopla, but I just don’t know what I’m looking for or how to find it because I don’t know titles. How can I see what’s available?

Thanks,
Just a Dad

Dear Dad:

First, Congrats on signing up for your BPL ecard! For readers who are not yet in the know, Hoopla offers you movies, TV shows, music, eBooks, and comics for online streaming or download to mobile devices, with no waiting lists! All you need is your Boston Public Library ecard. To get a BPL ecard, visit https://www.bpl.org/ecard/ and complete the form. Anyone who lives in Massachusetts is eligible.

Once you have your BPL ecard number, click Books & More, then Movies & TV, and then Hoopla (from the BPL web page). You’ll be prompted to enter your email address and a password to set up an account with Hoopla. Then, you’re all set to look at movies and borrow them to watch on your computer, tables, phone, or internet-enabled tv. (FYI, you can also borrow movies through Kanopy, which also can be accessed with your BPL ecard.)

To see what kids’ Halloween fare is available, look for the Browse tab and choose Movies from the pull-down menu. Type Halloween in the search box. Don’t be discouraged by all the truly scary movies that appear – Look to the menu choices on the left of the screen, and click the checkbox for Children’s Titles Only. Voila! Halloween shows for kids that you can click to borrow.

If you’d rather search by title and want some suggestions for Halloween movies that are not too scary, there are some great lists out on the internet. Two examples are Good Housekeeping’s “60 Best Halloween Movies for Kids That Won’t Scare the Daylights Out of Them” and Rotten Tomatoes’ “36 Essential Kids Halloween Movies.” Take a look and see if any of those appeal to your family.

I hope this helps! Until next time,
Happy Computing (and watching!)
PC Doctor

Editor's Note: Questions should be directed to PC Doctor, care of the Athol Public Library, info@athollibrary.org or Athol Public Library, 568 Main St., Athol, Mass. 01331, or dropped off at the library.