Q. What is happening to Boundless?

Key Dates 

• Effective November 17, 2025: Users are no longer able to place new holds in Boundless. 
• Effective November 24, 2025: Final day to check out items in Boundless. 
• Effective December 8, 2025: SFPL Boundless app and website will cease to function and be fully retired.  

Questions

When will Boundless end?
The Boundless platform will shut down on December 8, 2025.

Can I still place holds or borrow items from Boundless?
You will be able to place holds in Boundless through November 17, 2025 and check out items through November 24, 2025.

What happens to my holds when Boundless ends?
Unfortunately, the Library does not have user access to hold information and cannot transfer holds to other reading apps. Please write down the titles that you have on hold and search for them in OverDrive/Libby or Hoopla Digital. 

What happens to Boundless checkouts after December 8, 2025?
Any items checked out from Boundless will no longer be available starting December 8, 2025.^.

Why will SFPL stop buying Boundless?
The company that maintains Boundless, Baker & Taylor, is going out of business. As a result, Boundless will be shutting down. The good news is that the library will be transferring the titles from Boundless to our existing Hoopla Digital collection.

What is expanding in Hoopla?
By moving the Boundless titles to Hoopla, the Hoopla collection will increase and start offering more titles near street date, both eBooks and eAudiobooks. This will also create two (2) circulation models in Hoopla, including the current Instant Borrow model as well as a new Flex Borrow model.

What is the Instant Borrow model?
This is the current circulation model that the library offers in Hoopla. You can instantly borrow a title, no waiting.

What is the Flex Borrow model?
The Flex Borrow model works like Boundless did and OverDrive/Libby still do, a one-copy-one-user circulation model. You can borrow a title, or, if it is currently checked out, you can reserve it on a wait list.

How do you tell the difference between Instant Borrow and Flex Borrow titles?
Hoopla uses symbols to differentiate between the two models. The circular arrow symbol, highlighted in green and yellow below, indicates a Flex Borrow title, one that it available now (green) and one with a waitlist (yellow). The symbol highlighted in pink is an Instant Borrow title.

How many items can be borrowed from Hoopla?
For Instant Borrow, the number will remain at 30 checkouts per month. For Flex Borrow, you can check out five titles per month.

When will I start seeing the Flex Borrow titles in Hoopla?
The transition from Boundless to Hoopla will take approximately two weeks, with Flex Borrow titles expected to be available around December 22, 2025.  Please note that some of the same titles may already be in Hoopla as Instant Borrows.

How do I export my checkout history?

Unfortunately, there's no easy way to export your Boundless checkout history. We suggest taking a series of screenshots and saving those images to your device.

What's next? 
The silver lining here is that books in Boundless will be moved over to Hoopla Digital starting in mid-December. We encourage you to try out Hoopla if you haven’t already. And don’t hesitate to reach out: Library staff will be able to help you make this transition.   

More Questions?

If you have questions about your Boundless holds or checkouts or Hoopla Digital, please ask at your local library, email info@sfpl.org or call (415) 557-4000 for assistance.