The Palace Project
What The Palace Project is
The Palace Project gives libraries a platform, digital content, and mobile apps for distributing ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital media. Readers can bring material from multiple library sources into one app, browse titles available to them, and access free open-access and public-domain works through the Palace Bookshelf. Libraries can use 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 is free, has no minimum purchase or annual fee, and requires an Institutional Membership Agreement to buy content. Marketplace loans default to 21 days; other limits follow the source provider. The app supports iOS and Android phones and tablets, adjustable text and display settings, offline listening, and integrations such as Boundless, cloudLibrary, OverDrive, and ProQuest. The core software is open source, and the service says it will not sell user information to third parties.
Who it suits
It is designed for public and academic libraries delivering digital collections, and for patrons borrowing ebooks or audiobooks. Anyone can use the app to reach the free Palace Bookshelf collection.
What it does well
- Free app for iOS and Android
- More than 1.7 million marketplace titles
- Adjustable fonts, colors, and brightness
- Offline listening supported
- Open-source core software
What to know first
- Kindle integration is not available
- Libraries need an agreement to buy content
- Loan limits vary by content source
- Marketplace loans default to 21 days
Limits
Marketplace loans default to 21 days. Checkout limits and loan periods for other content are inherited from the source provider or configured for Marketplace content.
Getting started
- Open the Palace Project website
- Download the app for iOS or Android
- Sign in through a participating library to borrow content
- Browse available titles from connected library sources
- Download free Palace Bookshelf titles or borrowed media for offline listening
Verdict
The Palace Project centralizes library digital collections while giving institutions flexible licensing and integrations. Readers get accessibility controls and free public-domain material, though Kindle users cannot connect their accounts.
Questions
Is The Palace Project free?
The app is free, and Marketplace membership has no fee, minimum purchase, or annual fee. Libraries need an Institutional Membership Agreement to purchase Marketplace content.
Which devices are supported?
The app runs on iOS and Android phones and tablets, supporting current operating-system versions and the two preceding versions.
Does it work with Kindle?
No. The Palace Project does not integrate with Kindle because Kindle’s DRM and format are proprietary.
What content can libraries provide?
Libraries can provide ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital media through connected sources and the Palace Marketplace, including simultaneous-use, perpetual-access, open-access, and public-domain titles.
Is the software open source?
The core software is open source and available on GitHub.
Facts from The Palace Project's own pages
- Academic libraries
- The academic platform brings licensed, open-access, and hosted content together, including integrations with ProQuest, Taylor & Francis, Pressbooks, and OAPEN. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Accessibility
- The app supports adjustable font sizes, several font options including Open Dyslexic, background color schemes, and adjustable screen brightness. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Content integrations
- The app supports content integrations including Boundless, BiblioBoard, Blackstone Unlimited, cloudLibrary, OverDrive, Palace Bookshelf, Palace Marketplace, and ProQuest. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Discovery
- The catalog displays available titles instead of directing users to titles with long waitlists. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2021 · thepalaceproject.org, 28 Sept 2026
- Free collection
- The Palace Bookshelf contains free open-access and public-domain titles that anyone can access by downloading the app. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Alpharetta, Georgia, United States · thepalaceproject.org, 28 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- The FAQ lists integrations including Boundless, Blackstone Unlimited, BiblioBoard, cloudLibrary, OverDrive, Palace Marketplace, ProQuest, and Unlimited Listens. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Library focus
- The platform is designed to help public libraries expand equitable access to digital materials and engage directly with patrons. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Marketplace
- The Palace Marketplace offers libraries ebook and audiobook licenses from major, independent, and smaller publishers, with flexible licensing models. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Marketplace fees
- Marketplace membership is free, with no minimum purchase required; libraries must sign an Institutional Membership Agreement to purchase content. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The core software is open source and available on GitHub. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The Palace Project states that it will never sell user information to third parties. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 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. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Supported devices
- The app is supported on iOS and Android phones and tablets, for the current operating system versions and the two preceding versions. · thepalaceproject.org, 9 Oct 2026
Where The Palace Project stands on Freedom251
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