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G2S Project Code: 2021-RI-89809
State: Rhode Island
Fiscal Year: 2021

Grantee
Ocean State Libraries

Project Director
Director Name: Stephen Spohn
Director Phone: 401-593-2160
Director Email: sspohn@oslri.net

General Information
Title: ARPA: Palace Project
State Project Code:
Start Date: 03/14/2022
End Date: 09/30/2022
Abstract: During the pandemic, circulation of eBooks increased exponentially (50% at the height of the pandemic) and already long wait times for popular titles provided through eBook vendor Overdrive became even longer, with popular titles having wait times of over six months. To address the demand for eBooks and to expand availability of digital titles, OLIS and Ocean State Libraries, Rhode Island’s public library consortium, engaged in a pilot project to launch the Palace Project statewide. The Palace Project mobile app is a vendor-agnostic eBook platform that combines eBook holdings from different providers into a single user experience and enables libraries to purchase content from vendors under more advantageous terms through the Palace Marketplace. OSL engaged with Lyrasis to implement the Palace Project at the statewide level and to add functionality to the Palace Project “collection manager” administrative tool to allow for more streamlined control of content curation by the consortium.

State Goal: Access

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$127,000.00

$0.00

$127,000.00

Intent(s)
Improve library operations.
Library Infrastructure & Capacity
Collection Development & Management

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Palace App Development
Narrative: Content curation is a critical component of OSL’s eBook service. Good content curation drives users to available content, helps users to discover new books, reduces holds, and reduces overall program costs. OSL and OLIS worked with Lyrasis to develop a scope of work to develop significant improvements to the Palace collection manager administrative tool to streamline work and add automatic curation features that are now available to Palace Project libraries around the country. The enhancements sought by OSL also enable content curation at the consortium level which can then be pushed out to member libraries; prior to this enhancement, content curation had to be managed at the individual library level. OSL launched the Palace Project mobile app to its member libraries in September 2022.

Intent: Improve library operations.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Digital

Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 1
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 0
Number of electronic materials acquired: 0
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types

Public Libraries: 48
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 1
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Question 1: I am satisfied that the resource is meeting library needs.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: Applying the resource will help improve library services to the public.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: eBook and Audiobook Collections
Narrative: OSL selected 1,330 eBooks and digital audiobooks from the Palace Marketplace to add content to the mobile app and supplement content made available through contracts with other eBook vendors, thereby attracting users to the new platform. Content selected was unique with emphasis on young adult graphic novels, award winners, and popular audiobooks.

Intent: Improve library operations.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Digital

Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 0
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 0
Number of electronic materials acquired: 1,330
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0

Partner Information

Public Libraries: 48
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 1
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:

Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:

Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:

Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
No
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative

Project Tags: