Partner Success Stories
The Palace Project helps libraries better serve their communities by bringing more digital content together in one simple app. These stories showcase how both patrons and libraries are benefiting—from expanding access and streamlining discovery to creating meaningful connections through reading and learning.
Read on to discover how libraries and their patrons are transforming their digital experiences with The Palace Project.
Connecticut State Library
SERVICE AREA: The State of Connecticut
POPULATION SERVED: 3.6M+
» GOAL
With a mission to support and inspire researchers, students, historians, local and state governments, and all residents of Connecticut, the Connecticut State Library (CSL) was searching for a statewide ebook platform to underpin its “eGO Program”. CSL needed a system that was easy to use and accessible to all, able to accommodate existing digital collections in use at public libraries, did not lock them into acquiring content from just one provider, and could extend to other use cases in the future, such as supporting leisure reading throughout the state’s academic institutions.
» SOLUTION
CSL began using The Palace Project as the foundational software for the eGO Program in 2018. Available to all public libraries across the state and expanding into academic libraries, CSL has provided the platform for free and built a robust collection of digital materials, including content sourced from Lyrasis and Baker and Taylor that provides a much-needed supplement to local library collections. Today, over 170 Connecticut libraries, public to academic, are live in Palace.
» IMPACT
With public libraries facing ever-increasing budgetary challenges, coupled with the growing usage of digital materials, the Connecticut State Library has been able to augment local library collections with Palace. CSL also launched its library in Palace, allowing any resident in the state who cannot take advantage of their local public library to easily create a barcode and gain access to digital materials without leaving the comfort of their homes.
NYU Libraries
SERVICE AREA: New York, NY (NYU)
» GOAL
NYU Libraries aimed to streamline the ebook reading experience for its 66,000+ students and faculty by reducing reliance on dozens of siloed platforms, improving mobile access, and enabling innovation through interoperable ebook infrastructure. They needed a solution that could consolidate access while preserving authentication, DRM, and vendor relationships.
» SOLUTION
NYU and Lyrasis partnered on implementing The Palace Project—a mobile ebook reader built on open standards (OPDS protocol). The app allowed integration of over 400,000 ebooks from vendors like ProQuest, OAPEN, and University of Michigan. NYU students accessed content through their SSO login, with ebooks hosted by vendors and delivered through Palace’s user-friendly, secure interface. No new DRM or vendor system changes were required.
» IMPACT
The implementation of The Palace Project significantly improved the ebook experience for NYU students and faculty by unifying access to over 400,000 titles across multiple vendors in one streamlined mobile app. Students could now easily authenticate with their NYU login, access content both on and off campus, and enjoy a seamless reading experience without needing VPNs or multiple ereader apps. The project demonstrated that open, interoperable infrastructure is not only technically feasible and cost-effective but also requires minimal ongoing maintenance. Vendors successfully created OPDS feeds without modifying their existing hosting or DRM systems, proving the value of collaboration using open standards. The app’s browseable, user-friendly interface helped increase engagement, offering a “Netflix-style” discovery experience. Based on the success of this implementation and positive feedback from students and librarians alike,NYU plans to expand Palace integration and support broader adoption across academic libraries.
Columbia University Libraries
SERVICE AREA: New York, NY (Columbia University)
» GOAL
Improve the fragmented and inefficient ebook access experience for Columbia University students and faculty by simplifying discovery, enhancing mobile access, and reducing reliance on costly, complex vendor integrations.
» SOLUTION
Columbia University partnered with Lyrasis to launch The Palace Project, a unified mobile e-reading and collection hosting platform built on the Open Publication Distribution System (OPDS) protocol. As part of this initiative, Columbia integrated digitized special collections hosted via the Internet Archive, which already supported OPDS. The university also collaborated with publishers such as Johns Hopkins Press and Cassellini Torrosa to make licensed ebooks accessible through Palace. To further expand access, Columbia connected third-party services like Springer Nature and ProQuest through OPDS integration. This approach enabled students and faculty to access both open-access and licensed ebooks through a single mobile interface—no VPN required.
» IMPACT
The implementation of The Palace Project significantly streamlined ebook access at Columbia, reducing complex workflows from dozens of steps to just three clicks—both on and off campus. Student satisfaction rose accordingly, with 82% rating their overall experience as good or excellent, and 70–80% reporting high ease of use in finding, downloading, and reading content across multiple publishers. Feedback revealed a desire for an even broader ebook collection, improved search functionality, and support for additional devices. From an institutional perspective, the initiative overcame barriers related to legacy discovery systems and closed vendor platforms, while also highlighting the need for better integration with citation tools and greater platform interoperability. Looking ahead, Columbia plans to advocate for broader adoption of OPDS among publishers and work with Lyrasis and The Palace Project to enhance academic features, improve knowledge-base integration, and expand hosting options for library-owned content.
Aspen Discovery
The integration of Aspen Discovery and The Palace Project brings a unique and powerful ebook and audiobook content solution to libraries and their patrons.
» GOAL
To meet growing expectations for fast, seamless access to digital content, The Palace Project and Aspen Discovery integrated their platforms using the Open Publication Distribution System (OPDS), a community-supported, vendor-neutral standard. This open protocol enables secure content delivery and automated metadata exchange, reducing integration costs and librarian workload. By adopting a shared, scalable, and modern framework, the two open-source platforms empower libraries to unify discovery and access across diverse formats—ebooks, audiobooks, and more—without the complexity of custom integrations, ultimately enhancing the patron experience and supporting long-term innovation.
» SOLUTION
The integration of Aspen Discovery and The Palace Project, two open-source platforms, leveraged the open-standard OPDS protocol to simplify and standardize how digital content is delivered and discovered. This collaboration allowed libraries to expand their content offerings without relying on custom development or complex vendor negotiations. By adopting OPDS, both platforms maintained technical independence while creating a scalable, vendor-neutral framework that supports discovery, borrowing, and reading—all from a single, library-branded interface.
» IMPACT
Libraries that implemented the integration experienced immediate gains: increased patron engagement through the Palace App, improved discoverability of unique and licensed content, and streamlined staff workflows. The solution minimized metadata maintenance, reduced integration costs, and ensured a consistent user experience across formats and providers. Ultimately, this partnership serves as a model for how open standards and community-driven innovation can empower libraries to meet evolving patron needs while preserving sustainability and control.
University of California Libraries
Evaluating new Futures for Academic Ebooks at the University of California Libraries
SERVICE AREA: CALIFORNIA
» GOAL
Improve the fragmented and frustrating ebook reading experience for University of California (UCL) students and faculty—particularly on mobile devices—by exploring a unified, user-friendly, and accessible platform that supports academic reading needs without vendor lock-in.
» SOLUTION
UCL initiated a phased evaluation of The Palace Project by partnering with Lyrasis to set up a test site. This began with a low-cost pilot using open-access ebooks to evaluate usability, accessibility, and administrative functions. Following a positive report, UC Davis launched a fully functioning Palace installation to test integration with campus single sign-on (SSO), support licensed content, and automate metadata loading into the library’s discovery systems. UCL also joined the Academic Palace Working Group, a national community of academic libraries collaborating to improve the platform and shape the future of academic ereading.
» IMPACT
The Palace App provided a simplified and consistent ebook experience—offering users access to content across publishers in a single interface, both online and offline, without the need for VPNs or third-party apps. UCL users now benefit from increased open-access content, including materials from DPLA, University of Michigan Press, and OAPEN. The collaboration also opened the door to shared ebook experiences with California public libraries through the California State Library collection. Internally, the setup proved feasible and low-cost, with strong technical and community support from Lyrasis and the Working Group. While publisher participation and metadata integration posed initial challenges, the initiative laid the groundwork for scalable improvements, including automation tools, collaborative standards work, and a forthcoming Academic Palace “cookbook” to support broader adoption across UCL campuses.
