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Your Library... Simplified

Library Simplified brings the power of open source software and community development to libraries. The platform delivers unprecedented control and simplicity to library e-book services.

The Library Simplified Platform

SimplyE Application

The patron-facing application allowing patrons to find and read their library e-books in one place. Patron-facing applications include mobile clients for iOS and Android and web clients for a web reader and web catalog.

Circulation Manager

The main connection between a library’s collection and the SimplyE app. It handles user authentication, combines licensed works with open access content from the OA Content Server and serves data from the Metadata Wrangler.

 

Metadata Wrangler

Merges a wide variety of information sources for library ebooks and incorporates them into the reading experience by improving selection, search and recommendation.

Free SimplyE Collection

Serves thousands of modern and classic open access books for free – no library card required. 

 

Web Applications

The OPDS-powered web catalog provides libraries a unified ebook catalog for discovery and online reading.

Technology

Circulation Manager

The Circulation Manager is what enables patrons to have a seamless experience by hiding the differences between different libraries. It enables our ability to give patrons a single app to download: to find and connect with their library, and then browse, borrow, and read any e-book or audiobook in their library’s collection.

The Circulation Manager utilizes cloud architecture to create a highly affordable, performant and scalable eBook service.

  • Language: Python
  • Framework: Flask
  • Database: PostGresSQL
  • Repository and issue tracking: JIRA

Currently the application integrates with Google Analytics. To ensure patron privacy, only aggregated trend and usage data is captured. Additionally, the circulation manager admin provides summary statistics of the collection via a dashboard directly from the circulation manager database.

Metadata Wrangler

The metadata wrangler is a separate service application that helps normalize and enhance the catalog metadata from service providers.

  • Language: Python
  • Framework: Flask
  • Database: PostGresSQL
  • Repository and issue tracking: GitHub

Deployment, Support and Production

The project uses several open source technologies to manage the development and production support and deployment of the application.

  • Automated test and build: TravisCI
  • Automated deployment: Ansible
  • Containerization: Docker

Explore Our Technology

Github

Visit our Github for the Library Simplified code repository.

Wiki

Written and maintained by our Library Simplified developers for technical staff at publlc libraries.

Slack

Written and maintained by our Library Simplified developers for technical staff at public libraries.

Docker

View our Docker container for DevOps.

Library Providers Working with SimplyE

Axis360 logo
Baker & Taylor Axis360
CloudLibrary logo
cloudLibrary by Bibliotheca
DPLA logo
Digital Public Library of America
NoveList logo
EBSCO NoveList
Biblioboard logo
Biblioboard
Odilo logo
Odilo
OverDrive O logo
OverDrive
RBdigital logo
RBdigital audiobooks and e-books

Open Source Projects We Support

Readium Foundation

Readium Foundation is an Open Source Foundation collaboratively developing technology to accelerate the adoption of EPUB 3 and the Open Web Platform by the Digital Publishing Industry.

W3C

Publishing@W3C is a working group within the W3C that provides the necessary technologies on the Open Web Platform to advance accessibility, usability, portability, distribution, archiving, offline access and reliable cross-referencing through standards development documentation.

OPDS

The Open Publication Distribution System (OPDS) is an application of the Atom Syndication Format intended to enable content creators and distributors to distribute digital books via a simple catalog format.

Simplify Your Library

Learn how Library Simplified software can improve access to books for your patrons.