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COURTESY PHOTOMichele Kimpton
Patrons of the Santa Barbara Public Library now have access to an additional 40,000 electronic titles with the implementation of the Palace Project.
The project is a nonprofit, library-centered platform and e-reader app for digital content and services, which announced its official launch on June 2. Informed by librarians and supported by a multi-year, multi-million dollar investment from the Knight Foundation, The Palace Project is an easy-to-use platform for the management and delivery of e-books, audiobooks and other electronic content and puts libraries at the center of their communities’ digital experience.
“The platform and app takes all the content the library has and aggregates them to make them discoverable and downloadable through a single app,” said Michele Kimpton, senior global director of The Palace Project.
“Most apps don’t allow aggregated access through a single app. The palace app takes all ebook and audiobook content, and compiles them in one convenient location for patrons,” she told the News-Press.
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESSThe Santa Barbara Public Library is part of the Palace Project, which allows access to 40,000 additional electronic titles.The Palace Project’s open-source system empowers librarians to manage collections, hosting and circulation in a single app, while protecting patron privacy and strengthening libraries’ direct relationships with their patrons. The Palace App, available for iOS and Android, allows libraries to serve all their electronic content — from all major vendors including OverDrive, Baker and Taylor, Bibliotheca, and Bibliolabs — to patrons in one easy-to-use interface.
“The app makes the jobs of librarians easier in that you have one platform where all the content that the library sources is on a single platform, regardless of which vendor is providing the title,” said Ms. Kimpton. “The platform aggregates use and circulation through a single administrative portal. This platform and app plus the large e-book and audiobook collection through California State Library, can be implemented by a public library at no additional cost, giving library patrons access to an additional 40,000 titles.”
LYRASIS is the host home of the Palace Project. LYRASIS is a global, nonprofit whose mission is to support enduring access to the world’s shared academic, scientific and cultural heritage through leadership in open technologies, content services, digital solutions, and collaboration with archives, libraries, museums, and knowledge communities worldwide. LYRASIS organizational and staff values are communication, respect, collaboration, impact, and service. To learn more, visit www.lyrasis.org.
“California is excited about its partnership with LYRASIS and working together to make it easier for Californians to access all the e-books they want. E-books are becoming more and more popular, but they’re also expensive. Creating a statewide e-library with LYRASIS ensures all Californians have access to the e-books they want – and need,” Greg Lucas, the California state librarian, said in a news release.
Ms. Kimpton said, “Just like any apps patrons might have favorites, it gives patrons and users a choice.
“We are a nonprofit: We work closely with libraries,” she added.
“Our mission is equitable and increased access and ability and choice for libraries and patrons,” said Ms. Kimpton. “We want to increase the number of patrons that download the app and bring the library to the patron online. What is unique to the palace project is that we work with publishers to develop lending models, and we also give access to Amazon published titles. Libraries can integrate e-books that they have copyrights to, as well as public domain ebooks and public domain government documents.”
Alberto Ibargüen, president of the Knight Foundation, explained the importance of the Palace Project.
“The pandemic accelerated libraries’ move to digital services to meet people where they are with equitable access to information. The Palace Project is a transformative opportunity to put librarians back at the center of connecting people to information. Having digital access to knowledge is more important than ever to build informed and engaged communities.”
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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