The Palace Project
The Palace Project gives libraries a platform, digital content, and mobile apps for delivering ebooks, audiobooks, and other media.
What The Palace Project is
The Palace Project gives libraries a platform, digital content, and mobile apps for delivering ebooks, audiobooks, and other media. Readers can bring multiple library sources together, browse available titles, and use the Palace Bookshelf for free open-access and public-domain material. Libraries can license content through the Palace Marketplace, which offers more than 1.7 million ebooks and audiobooks from major, independent, and smaller publishers. Licensing options include simultaneous-use subscriptions and perpetual access titles. Marketplace membership has no fee, minimum purchase, annual fee, or required spend, although an Institutional Membership Agreement is needed to buy content. Marketplace loans default to 21 days; other limits follow the provider. The app supports iOS and Android phones and tablets, adjustable fonts, Open Dyslexic, color schemes, brightness controls, and offline listening. It does not integrate with Kindle.
Good
- Combines content from multiple library sources
- Marketplace offers more than 1.7 million titles
- Free Palace Bookshelf access
- Supports adjustable fonts and brightness
- Available on iOS and Android
Watch out
- Kindle integration is unavailable
- Marketplace purchasing requires an Institutional Membership Agreement
- Loan limits vary by source provider
Who it suits
It suits public and academic libraries delivering digital collections, and patrons borrowing across connected sources. Readers wanting accessible settings or free public-domain titles can use the mobile app.
Verdict
The Palace Project links library borrowing, marketplace licensing, academic integrations, and accessible mobile reading in one platform. Libraries should account for source-specific checkout rules and the absence of Kindle support.
The facts
Each one read from The Palace Project's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Academic libraries
- The academic platform brings licensed, open-access, and hosted content together, including integrations with ProQuest, Taylor & Francis, Pressbooks, and OAPEN.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Academic use
- The academic platform connects libraries to licensed, open, and hosted content in a unified platform, with partners including ProQuest, Taylor & Francis, Pressbooks, and OAPEN.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Accessibility
- The app supports adjustable font sizes, several font options including Open Dyslexic, background color schemes, and adjustable screen brightness.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Content integrations
- The app supports content integrations including Boundless, BiblioBoard, Blackstone Unlimited, cloudLibrary, OverDrive, Palace Bookshelf, Palace Marketplace, and ProQuest.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Content marketplace
- The Palace Marketplace offers library partners more than 1.7 million ebooks and audiobooks, with no required spend or annual fees.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Content options
- The digital content offerings include simultaneous-use subscriptions, perpetual access titles, and thousands of free open-access and public-domain titles.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Discovery
- The catalog displays available titles instead of directing users to titles with long waitlists.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The FAQ lists integrations including Boundless, Blackstone Unlimited, BiblioBoard, cloudLibrary, OverDrive, Palace Marketplace, ProQuest, and Unlimited Listens.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Kindle limitation
- The app does not integrate with Kindle because Kindle's DRM and format are proprietary, and the page says integration would require sharing users' identities and reading choices with Amazon.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Library focus
- The platform is designed to help public libraries expand equitable access to digital materials and engage directly with patrons.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Loan limits
- Checkout limits are inherited from the source provider or configured for Marketplace content, and Marketplace loans default to 21 days.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Loans
- Marketplace content has a default checkout period of 21 days, while checkout limits and times for other content are inherited from the source provider.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Marketplace
- The Palace Marketplace offers libraries ebook and audiobook licenses from major, independent, and smaller publishers, with flexible licensing models.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Marketplace fees
- Marketplace membership is free, with no minimum purchase required; libraries must sign an Institutional Membership Agreement to purchase content.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The core software is open source and available on GitHub.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The Palace Project states that it will never sell user information to third parties.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- The Palace Project provides libraries with a platform, content, and mobile app for delivering ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital media to patrons.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Student privacy
- Lyrasis says it follows COPPA’s core principles and complies with FERPA and similar student-data privacy requirements when serving educational institutions.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- Libraries hosted by Lyrasis can contact [email protected] about app or Collection Manager issues, and the team says it will troubleshoot and escalate unresolved issues.checked 9 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2021checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Alpharetta, Georgia, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
- Ownership model
- For owned digital copies, library rights include lending, consortium sharing, hosting, format transfer, and preservation, but the stated model does not explicitly grant resale rights.checked 9 Oct 2026
Money
- Free collection
- The Palace Bookshelf contains free open-access and public-domain titles that anyone can access by downloading the app.checked 9 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Supported devices
- The app is supported on iOS and Android phones and tablets, for the current operating system versions and the two preceding versions.checked 9 Oct 2026
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