Are you social distancing at home without a paid subscription to any of the popular streaming services? Even though The Fresno County Library is closed, it can hook you up with a free streaming service called Kanopy. It’s been available in Fresno since September 2019.
Kanopy offers hours of films and documentaries you can watch on your “pad” as well as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android TV and some Samsung smart TVs. All you need is a library card or a university login and internet access. You can sign up here.
AARP would classify most of the films as adult-friendly: “Lady Bird,” “Moonlight,” “The Book Shop,” for example. Kanopy describes itself as presenting “Thoughtful Entertainment.” If you are a true film and documentary fan, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you’ll find. I found the 1902 film “Trip to the Moon.”
Of course, this being a site that is library-approved, you’ll find scores of educational films. You can brush up on your Greek with the “Basic Rules of Greek Accentuation.” An oldie, but a goodie. Imagine how thrilled your housebound partners will be when they learn Greek by your side on the only TV in the house.
Or, there’s the ever-popular “Let’s Make Stuffed Baked Potatoes” with Link, who will tell you how to keep your baked potato from exploding. It’s in the kids’ section.
Is there a downside? Kind of. Unlike Netflix, which is a subscription service you pay for, your library is charged an educational licensing fee for films you watch. In many cases, the fee kicks in after 10 seconds of viewing. According to FilmQuartery.org, your library could be charged a $150/year educational licensing fee for the film you are watching. So, if you can find a film on Netflix or Amazon Prime, watch it there. Save your library some money so it can buy other things, such as books. It’s also why the library only lets you watch 10 films a month.
Have fun.
Flatten the curve.