Schmaling Memorial Public Library provides free access to e-books through the eRead Illinois Program.

Due to the recent and abrupt closure of Baker & Taylor, the Boundless app that hosts the eRead Illinois collection is being discontinued. While a transition of this size would typically take months, we are moving quickly to ensure minimal interruption to your use of the eRead Illinois collection.

In the coming weeks, the entire eRead Illinois collection will be migrated to a new, sustainable platform: the Palace Project app. The Palace Project offers benefits that will enhance library e-content collections, including the ability to aggregate e-books and audiobooks from other platforms into the Palace Project app. The Palace Marketplace also includes more favorable e-content licensing terms for libraries and access to Audible audiobook titles.

We understand this is a very fast transition, and we are working hard to preserve this valuable resource for you.

 

What to Expect:

Holds Temporarily Suspended

 Date: Effective Immediately

Users are no longer able to place new holds on the Boundless App.

Existing Holds and Checkout History Will Not Transfer

Effective Immediately

Please note that any outstanding holds and checkout history in the Boundless app will not transfer to The Palace Project app. We recommend making a list of any pending titles.

Last Day for Checkout

Sunday, November 2

This is the final day you can check out any items in the Boundless App.

Boundless App Defunct

Monday, November 17

The Boundless app will stop functioning and be fully retired.

Content Transfer Begins

Monday, November 17

eRead Illinois content will begin transitioning to The Palace Project app.

Palace Project App Launch

Tuesday, December 2

The new Palace Project app will be available for you to download, log in, and enjoy the the eRead Illinois collection again.

 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this unexpected industry shift. Your continued support allows us to quickly pivot and secure access to your digital content. We are committed to making this transition as seamless as possible. For questions, please contact your local library.

 

 

What is eRead Illinois?

The eRead Illinois program focuses on

• Expanding access to e-books for Illinois residents
• Training on e-books for libraries to better serve their communities
• Exploring further opportunities for increasing access to e-books through collaboration with Illinois authors, libraries, publishers, and other organizations

eRead Illinois includes an e-book collection and Axis 360 software platform from Baker & Taylor for RAILS members and IHLS non-SHARE members. Participating IHLS libraries that are members of the SHARE catalog use cloudLibrary.

Nearly 900 RAILS and IHLS libraries currently participate in eRead Illinois on the Axis 360 platform, and over 150 IHLS SHARE libraries have joined the cloudLibrary cohort.

The eRead Illinois program also includes live trainings and webinars for participating libraries.

Chicago Public Library has its own e-books program and is not included in the eRead Illinois project.

History of eRead Illinois

In 2013, the Illinois Secretary of State and Illinois State Library awarded a $985,219 grant to the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) and the Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) for the “E-books for Illinois” Program, named eRead Illinois. The grant program ended in May 2015.

The grant included:

• An e-book collection and Axis 360 software platform from Baker & Taylor for RAILS members and IHLS members that do not participate in SHARE
• An e-book collection and the cloudLibrary platform for IHLS libraries that belong to SHARE
• Research into a self-hosted model (second year of grant)
• Funds for hiring two e-book trainers/coordinators – one for RAILS and one for IHLS
• Training on e-books for participating libraries
• A website to include promotional and support materials, and a list of free e-book resources
• Assistance to participating libraries in promoting the project to their patrons

Sustainability

The eRead Illinois program charged member fees from the beginning of the grant to ensure the program was sustainable past the grant period. eRead Illinois is now sustained by member fees from participating libraries.