Catawba County News
New Roku Lending Collection
Published: October 16, 2026
STREAMING MADE SIMPLE
Catawba County Library is expanding access to entertainment, education, and culture through a new collection. No subscription required.
WHAT'S NEW
Starting this year, the library will circulate 135 Roku 4K Plus streaming devices, each preloaded with basic streaming capabilities and your choice of one premium streaming service. Premium services include Paramount+ with Showtime, Amazon Prime Video, BritBox, Crunchyroll, Apple TV+, PBS Passport, and Discovery+. Patrons can also check out one of 100+ Wi-Fi hotspots for a complete home viewing solution.
WHY IT MATTERS
As more educational content, movies, and shows move to streaming platforms, and fewer DVDs are being produced, accessing the entertainment and information people want can be difficult without a streaming subscription or reliable internet. This project ensures premium digital content is accessible to all residents. By lending Rokus and WiFi hotspots, the library will be able to remove those barriers standing between patrons and the content they already want to watch. It’s another way the library is adapting to how people access information while helping ensure that cost or internet service doesn’t stand in the way.
WHO BENEFITS
• Students using streaming for education andenrichment
• People who have internet but lack a smart TV orstreaming device
• Families seeking multilingual programming
• Anyone priced out of stacking multiple subscriptionsand devices
WHAT TO EXPECT
• Hands-on demo programs at every branch to help patrons get started
• Monthly "Get to Know Roku" classes
• Printed and digital user guides for at-home support
• Staff trained and ready to troubleshoot, just like a patron would at home
THE BIGGER PICTURE
This isn't just about entertainment, it's about quality oflife, ensuring equitable access to news, documentaries, educational content, and shared cultural experiences that increasingly live behind a streaming paywall. By lending the hardware, not just the content, the library provides a path for every household to participate.
LEARN ABOUT OUR NEW ROKU LENDING COLLECTION DURING IN-HOUSE DEMOS:
MAIDEN BRANCH
Tuesday, November 3 from 2 - 4 pm
SOUTHWEST BRANCH
Monday, November 9 all day
MAIN LIBRARY IN NEWTON
Tuesday, November 10 from 12 - 4 pm
ST. STEPHENS BRANCH
Tuesday, November 10 at 6 pm
CLAREMONT BRANCH
Friday, November 13 all day
SHERRILLS FORD-TERRELL BRANCH
Tuesday, November 17 at 5 pm
CONOVER BRANCH
Thursday, November 19 all day
