Sonoma County Library
Courtesy: Sonoma County Library

Though big streaming services are raising fees, cracking down on password sharing and culling titles, one local streaming provider is diving headlong in the other direction.

No, it's not some goofy-named start-up claiming to disrupt an industry, it's a service of the Sonoma County Library. Already offering several free streaming services, the county library system this week added The Shelf.

It's a Spanish language collection with hundreds of titles from Spain and Latin America. Along with films and telenovelas, it also offers podcasts, audiobooks, children's programming, games and animation.

"What's unique and neat about it is that the entire streaming video collection is completely in Spanish," said Jaime Anderson, a collections manager at the Sonoma County Library.

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Clips there from shows called Rio de Pasiones, Te Tengo en Salsa and Cuernavaca.

Along with cultural connection and entertainment for those far from their ancestral home, others may gain some beyond-textbook language skills through captivating immersion.

Borrowers can view up to half a dozen titles a month. Anderson encourages people to take advantage.

"Check it out it's a deep collection that should appeal to people with all backgrounds," Anderson said.

Best of all, it's free with your county library card, which, of course, is also free.