FAQ

General Background

What is the Palace Project?

The Palace Project is a library-centered suite of tools and services that will allow libraries to purchase, organize, and deliver ebooks and other digital content to their patrons quickly and easily while protecting patron privacy. The Palace Project includes a patron-facing app for accessing and reading ebooks, a circulation manager for libraries to manage the workflows and the patron experience, a marketplace to purchase new content for patron use, and a bookshelf of more than 15,000 open titles that are ready for access to all citizens now, at no cost to their library.

What is the goal of The Palace Project?

The Palace Project supports the mission of public libraries by providing equitable access to digital knowledge, bolsters the direct relationship between libraries and patrons, and protects patron privacy by enabling libraries to serve content to patrons from all the major e-content providers.

How did The Palace Project get its name?

In his book Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life, author Eric Klinenberg writes, "The library really is a palace. It bestows nobility on people who otherwise couldn't afford a shred of it." We agree, and this embodies how we feel about our work and the importance of The Palace Project.

Who manages the Palace Project?

The Palace Project is a division of Lyrasis and a strategic partner of DPLA. Lyrasis manages development, engagement, maintenance, technology and hosting. DPLA manages the Palace Marketplace and Palace Bookshelf.  The Project has been generously funded by multiple private and public entities, including the Knight Foundation, Sloan Foundation, and IMLS.

As a self-published author, how can I add my book(s) to The Palace Project App and/or The Palace Marketplace?

The best way for self-published authors to add their titles to The Palace Project and make them available to libraries on The Palace Marketplace is to work with our partners at Draft to Digital. Here is a page describing how you can work with D2D to make your titles available in The Palace Marketplace.

Technical/Specs

What devices are compatible with the Palace app?

We have compiled a list of devices that are currently supported by Palace. Generally speaking, the Palace App will support the latest version of Android and Apple (iOS) operating systems and the two preceding versions.

Does the Palace App work with Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Fire?

The Palace App works on iOS and Android phones and tablets, and does not integrate with Amazon Kindle because Kindle DRM and format are proprietary to Amazon Kindle. Integrating with Kindle would also require turning over library patrons’ identities and reading choices to Amazon, which would not meet our patron privacy policy.

Are there unsupported devices that will run Palace?

The Palace Project app is not optimized to work with unsupported devices and therefore users will have a less than adequate user experience. 

Will my library be able to serve content from multiple sources to patrons through the Palace app?

Yes, The Palace Project enables libraries to serve content to patrons from all the major e-content providers, including the Palace Marketplace, the only non-profit, library-centered ebook marketplace. The Palace Project also integrates with existing content providers your library might have an existing relationship with, including OverDrive, Baker & Taylor, Bibliotheca, and BiblioBoard.

Will software developed for The Palace Project be open source?

Yes, the core software is open source and can be found on GitHub.

What accessibility features does Palace currently provide?

Accessibility has been a driving factor in the development of the Palace app. Palace is built on Readium, in which basic accessibility support has been implemented. It should also work with mobile device assistive technologies such as Voice Over (iOS) and Talkback (Android) for those with visual impairments. 

Palace also offers Open Dyslexic, Sans Serif, and Serif font options, as well as various color schemes, a range of font sizes, and adaptable screen brightness within its e-reader. These features are accessed by opening an ebook and tapping the icon in the top right corner (tT in iOS, the cogwheel on Android). We are continually working with a team to test assistive devices and ensure that Palace maintains a high level of accessibility.

For Libraries

How do I request general information about The Palace Project?

Complete the contact form here to join our mailing list or reach out to us directly at info@thepalaceproject.org.

How do I report an issue with the Palace app? Who do I contact with patron questions?

If your library is currently hosted by Lyrasis, please email support@thepalaceproject.org regarding any issues with the Palace app or the Palace Collection Manager software. If there is an issue with a specific collection item, we recommend providing your name, library, the title of the book, book format, and the type of device being used. Please include any error messages where applicable. By contacting the support account you are creating a support ticket which helps track the issue and communicate feedback. The Palace implementation team will respond and help troubleshoot whatever issues arise. If the implementation team cannot solve the issue outright, they will escalate it to the development team to be reviewed. 

How do my patrons log in to the Palace app?

After patrons download the Palace app and search for your library, they are prompted to input their library barcode and password/pin upon borrowing an ebook or e-audio title. This information is stored and does not require library users to log in each time they access the app.

How does the Palace app respect patron privacy?

The Palace Project will never collect or sell patron information to third parties. In fact, in most instances, patrons will never need to provide us with identifying information. Patrons access collections in the Palace app by using the same library barcode and password associated with their library accounts.

What is the Palace Marketplace?

The Palace Marketplace is where you can license ebooks and audiobooks for your library, including titles from major publishers, as well as dozens of smaller and independent publishers. In addition, the Palace Marketplace is currently the only place for libraries to purchase licenses from Amazon Publishing and Audible. A variety of flexible licensing models make it easier for libraries to maximize the value of acquisition budgets and elevate offerings through a diverse mix of content at the best possible terms. 

What does a library need to do in order to purchase content in the Palace Marketplace?

To purchase from the Palace Marketplace, libraries need to complete and sign an Institutional Membership Agreement (IMA). The IMA denotes that the library agrees to remit payment for all econtent that they source via the Marketplace, and requests contact information for the receipt of invoices for purchases made. Upon completion of the IMA, the library will receive an administrative login and password to their Marketplace account.

How does purchasing work within the Palace Marketplace?

In the Palace Marketplace, a library will select their titles, add them to their cart(s), and validate the purchases. An invoice is sent to the library 30 days post validation of the carts. 

Which content providers currently support integration into Palace?

The Palace app currently supports the integration of content from Baker & Taylor, Biblioboard,  Bibliotheca cloudLibrary, OverDrive, and OverDrive Advantage, as well as content from the Palace Marketplace and Palace Bookshelf. 

Are there limits to the number of checkouts a patron may have within the Palace app?

The number of checkouts per patron is inherited directly from the settings your library maintains with the source content provider. For Palace Marketplace content, the number of checkouts can be configured in the Palace Collection Manager. Your library may request a specific checkout limit for Palace Marketplace content by contacting support@thepalaceproject.org.

Can a library change the checkout time for Palace items? For instance to match a library’s other items integrated into the app?

Similar to the number of checkouts, the Palace app inherits the checkout times from the originating vendor and there is no way to bypass this.  If you purchase content from the Palace Marketplace,  the default checkout period is 21 days. Your library may request a different loan length than the default for Palace Marketplace content by contacting support@thepalaceproject.org.

Are books automatically returned at the end of their checkout period?

If books aren’t returned early by the patron, they will automatically return on their due dates.

Do items without due dates, such as titles from the Palace Bookshelf, ever automatically return?

Titles without due dates will remain on a patron’s bookshelf until they manually remove or return them.

 

If you’re a library patron with questions about Palace, click here to go to the patron page.

The Palace Project is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.