One of our favourite things is connecting people with books they’ll love.
Sometimes it’s the title you’ve been waiting months to read. Sometimes it’s an old favourite you’re ready to revisit. And sometimes it’s a book you had never heard of that suddenly needs to come home with you now. The Palace Project gives our communities another way to make those discoveries in one easy-to-use app.
New to the ORL, Palace brings most of the ebooks and e-audiobooks from the ORL’s Digital Collection together with thousands of additional titles. In other words, there are now a lot more books waiting for you on our digital bookshelves!
See What’s on the Shelves
The fun part is exploring. The Palace Project opens the door to approximately 30,000 public domain and open-access titles through the Palace Bookshelf. Looking for a classic you’ve always meant to read? Curious about something a little off the beaten path? Just browsing until something catches your attention? That’s what Palace is built for.
Audiobook listeners have more to discover, too, with nearly 500 additional audiobooks purchased through the British Columbia Cooperative, including titles from Audible.
Together, these collections mean more stories, more voices, and more opportunities to find something that speaks to you.
Not Sure What to Read Next? Perfect.
We love a good reading list, but sometimes the best book discoveries happen when you aren’t looking for anything in particular. Palace is designed with that kind of browsing in mind. Featured shelves and collections make available titles easier to spot, so you can see what’s ready to borrow rather than beginning every search with a particular book in mind.
Browse a little. Follow your curiosity. Pick something because the cover looks interesting. You never know what might become your next favourite!
Already Love Libby? So Do We.
Good news: Libby isn’t going anywhere. You can keep using Libby, try Palace, or happily keep both on your device.
Most of the ORL’s Libby ebooks and e-audiobooks are also available through Palace, and loans and holds for shared titles generally appear in both apps. Palace then adds titles and collections you won’t find in the ORL’s Libby collection. Some special collections, including digital magazines, will remain available through Libby.
So there’s no need to pick one or the other. Palace simply gives you another way to wander through the ORL’s Digital Collection and see what you find.
A Digital Library That Still Feels Like a Library
The Palace Project was created around the idea that libraries should remain at the centre of the digital reading experience. Its library-centred approach brings content from multiple sources together while making discovery, accessibility, and ease of use a priority.
That means the experience is built around something libraries have always encouraged: curiosity.
Palace also gives readers options to make ebooks and e-audiobooks more comfortable to enjoy. You can adjust fonts, text size, colour schemes, screen brightness, and audiobook playback speed. OpenDyslexic text is available, and the app supports VoiceOver on Apple devices and TalkBack on Android devices.
Download a title before heading out and you can read or listen offline, too.
The Palace Project is one more way the ORL connects you with stories, ideas, and discoveries wherever you happen to be.
Want someone to show you around? The Palace Project has created a collection of instructional videos to help you become familiar with the app, from finding your library to borrowing your first book.
Watch The Palace Project Instructional Videos
Ready to download The Palace Project app? See the links below.
Need More Help?
Call us at 1-844-649-8127 or email help@orl.bc.ca. Please include as many details as you can about your question, account, or device. This helps us support you more quickly and accurately.
Library card expired? Reach out to your local branch or visit eRenew to renew your membership online—it’s quick and easy.
