Libraries are Palaces for the People
-Eric Klinenberg
Washington State Library History and Strategy
The Washington State Library (WSL) partnered with Lyrasis in 2021 for three years for an ebook app with purposes to:
- Make a non-commercial, distributor-agnostic app available
- Utilize unencumbered funds to reward publishers willing to experiment with new ebook/audiobook licensing models
- Make it easy for libraries in the state to test and try out Palace. Used LSTA funds to pay for installation and hosting fees for three years
- The contract has been extended for three years through 2026
Initially, the WSL contracted with SimplyE, a software being co-developed by the New York Public Library and Lyrasis. Lyrasis then opted to further develop their own version of the open source ebook software and named their version The Palace Project.
