By Angela Stanley

Last year, Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) launched a new ebook and audiobook service available to patrons across 46 participating public library systems through The Palace Project, an easy-to-use app that aggregates and delivers content from most providers. Participating libraries can now offer their patrons streamlined access to titles from Libby, eRead Kids, cloudLibrary, Biblioboard, Blackstone Unlimited, and ProQuest through the Palace Project app.

The Palace Project also offers unique content for library purchase, including exclusive access to Amazon and Audible titles, as well as items without holds, waits, or checkouts. Library cardholders experiencing long hold wait times for high-demand titles in other platforms can take advantage of added copies and unique titles available through the Palace app.

“We are excited to offer this convenient solution for patrons seeking eBooks and Audiobooks without the hassle of downloading several apps,” said Middle Georgia Regional Library System Director Jennifer Lautzenheiser. “By bringing our digital library collection together under the Palace Project umbrella, patrons now have a wider selection of titles in a single app.”

More Georgians are reading ebooks from their public library, with checkouts of ebooks increasing 12% in 2024. Since its initial launch in late June 2024, checkouts of titles available in The Palace Project have increased by over 5000%.

Public libraries across the state have increased their budgets for electronic resources, such as ebooks and downloadable audiobooks, by 60% over the last five years, according to preliminary 2024 fiscal year data. However, as libraries continue to expand their digital reading collections to meet patron needs, many struggle to keep pace with the demand due to complex licensing and lending rules, high costs, and availability. Many of the highest-demand titles are only available for a limited period of time or number of checkouts before the library has to repurchase access, contributing both to rising costs and patron confusion.

With the support of Lyrasis and the Digital Public Library of America, The Palace Project advocates with publishers for licensing models and competitive pricing that better fit the needs of libraries. They’ve also recently introduced a digital ownership model that would allow libraries to own electronic titles in perpetuity.

GPLS provided initial funding of nearly $575,000 to the library systems that opted in to curate a shared collection, as well as half a million dollars toward the establishment of a statewide, multilingual children's collection of perpetual access, simultaneous-use ebooks that supplement the titles already available in eRead Kids.

“Utilizing the Palace Project through Georgia Public Library Service funding not only enhances access to our statewide collection of ebooks and audiobooks, but it also significantly alleviates the financial strain libraries experience when acquiring digital content, particularly for smaller library systems,” said Vice Chancellor for Archives and Libraries and State Librarian Julie Walker.

The collections available through the Palace Project app join the growing number of digital materials made available to all Georgia public libraries from GPLS through the eRead Georgia collection. For more information, visit georgialibraries.org/eread-georgia or download the Palace Project app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and login with your public library card.