Our sister site LAist reported back in July that Angelenos could stream hundreds of movies from the Criterion Collection for free via a service called Kanopy, so long as they had a Los Angeles Public Library card. After inquiring with the New York Public Library system, Gothamist reported in August that both the NYPL and Brooklyn Public Library has also added access to the service.

Now Prince George’s County has followed suit. Since going live earlier this month, the most popular collection has been The Great Courses educational series and the most popular movie has been Sing, an Oscar-winning Hungarian short film.

To get access, anyone with a Prince George’s County Memorial Library System card can log-in online to get immediate access to the collection of more than 25,000 movies, documentaries, and educational materials. Users can stream up to 10 movies a month.

“We offer such a huge collection of films, most of which you can’t find elsewhere,” says Kanopy CEO Olivia Humphrey. “You know what to expect, something interesting, that you’re going to learn. You might be challenged. It’s a very thoughtful platform. I like to think of Kanopy as time well spent. I enjoy other streaming platforms just as much, but I might not come away quite as enriched.”

The Los Angeles library system, one of Kanopy’s biggest subscribers, rolled out the service in March, and New York followed suit in August. Since the NYPL announcement, Kanopy says that more than 100 libraries have signed up for trial services, including D.C. Public Library.

Washingtonians do already have access to the Criterion Collection and thousands of other movies through a series of services. While Kanopy bundles it all onto one platform, the D.C. Public Library system currently subscribes to several.

For the Criterion Collection, DCPL cardholders can sign in to the Alexander Street publishing platform, which makes 400 films instantly available to stream. Through other Alexander Street subscriptions, Washingtonians also have access to 1,800 videos of classical music performances and masterclasses, 1,300 recorded dance performances, and 200 opera performances.

Three other platforms available to library patrons offer a wide variety of movies, TV shows, and other media. Access Video focuses on educational videos, Instant Flix has thousands of indie titles, and OverDrive is a hodgepodge of offerings that can be “checked out” for streaming.

Previously:
Have A D.C. Library Card? You Can Stream The Criterion Collection And Thousands Of Other Movies