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 you and your patrons experience 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, managed by Lyrasis, 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 recognize that this accelerated timeline requires your immediate attention, and we sincerely apologize that certain actions are necessary to prepare for the move.
Key Dates for the Sunsetting of the Boundless App
- Effective Immediately: Users are no longer able to place new holds on the Boundless App.
- Effective Immediately: Existing holds and checkout history in the Boundless app will not transfer to the Palace Project app. We recommend that patrons make a list of any pending titles.
- Sunday, November 2: This is the final day you can check out any items in the Boundless app.
- Monday, November 17: The Boundless app will stop functioning and be fully retired.
- Monday, November 17: eRead Illinois content will begin transitioning to the Palace Project app.
- Tuesday, December 2: The Palace Project app will be available for user to download, log in, and enjoy the eRead Illinois collection again.
Library Onboarding to Palace Project
Just like Boundless, each eRead Illinois member library will have their own instance in the Palace Project app. Patrons will need to download the Palace Project app, search for their library, and log in with their credentials to access the eRead Illinois shared collection.
- Public, Academic and Special Libraries: we will begin onboarding steps for Palace Project. Your library will be contacted soon by your catalog consortia manager, RAILS staff or directly from Lyrasis with any information needed for this process.
- K-12 Libraries: K-12 libraries not in a catalog consortium will be onboarded to the Palace Project beginning in December.
- Unbound Libraries: RAILS will begin to reach out to libraries with Unbound accounts to discuss transferring your collection to Palace Project.
Support and Guidance
In the coming weeks, we will share detailed, step-by-step information on how to download and get started with The Palace Project App, including tutorials and direct support resources.
Library staff are invited to join us and the team from Lyrasis for a webinar to learn about the Palace Project.
A recording will be sent to registrants and posted on the eRead Illinois website after Thursday, November 13.
eRead Illinois Transition Resources
- Library Announcement to Share with Patrons
- RAILS has created sample language to help communicate this transition to your patrons.
- Library Announcement for Boundless App
- RAILS is working with Baker & Taylor to add popup messaging to the Boundless app to alert users to these changes, beginning October 28. Due to staff reductions at Baker & Taylor, this may not be possible. You can place a banner announcement on your library's Boundless site by logging in to your library's admin portal and following these instructions.
- Here is a suggested announcement for your Boundless page: “This app will be defunct on 11/17. Checkouts cease on 11/2. Holds will be cancelled on 11/16. See your library for more info.”
- RAILS is working with Baker & Taylor to add popup messaging to the Boundless app to alert users to these changes, beginning October 28. Due to staff reductions at Baker & Taylor, this may not be possible. You can place a banner announcement on your library's Boundless site by logging in to your library's admin portal and following these instructions.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Marketing Materials
We understand this is a very fast transition, and we are working hard to preserve this valuable resource for you. New content is coming! In addition to migrating the existing collection, we are actively purchasing new e-book and e-audiobook titles to ensure a robust launch on the Palace app.
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.
If you have any questions, please contact the eRead Illinois team.