Every Californian with an email address and an internet connection can now visit California’s Bookshelf and access more than 300,000 eBooks and eAudiobooks.

Previously, readers had to log in through a participating library to get to all the ebooks available on the eBookshelf. With California’s Bookshelf, access to our vast collection is just a few clicks away, as you’ll see below.

“With just a few clicks, any Californian can go and grab what they’re looking for on California’s Bookshelf. Trust me, we’ve tried to make something for every reader,” said California State Librarian Greg Lucas. “From your home, a coffee shop or while traveling, you will always be connected to convenience with this new virtual library bookshelf. Did I mention it’s free?”

California’s Bookshelf has thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks in multiple genres and over 20 languages.

The eBookshelf is a partnership with the Palace Project. It uses the Palace app to provide access to digital content.

There are five steps to access California’s Bookshelf and create a virtual library card:

1. Download the free Palace app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Inside the app, use the “find my library” search function to find “California’s Bookshelf.”
3. Browse the collection until you find a title you would like to read then either “get” or “reserve” that book.
4. Choose the option to create a virtual card and then complete the details in the form. You will need to enable the app’s permission to use your specific location, just one time, for the creation of your library card.
5. Look in your email for your library card number. You can borrow items using that number and your new password.

When you browse California’s Bookshelf, you’ll have access to over 300,000 eBooks and eAudiobooks and over 70,000 unique titles. There are over 3,500 titles available with no wait times or hold queues.

If you log into the Palace app through your local library, you’ll not only have access to all the materials in California’s Bookshelf but all the eBooks and audiobooks in your local library’s collection.

Established in 1850, the California State Library is the central reference and research library for state government and the Legislature. The library collection includes more than four million titles, 6,000 maps and 250,000 photographs, and includes an extensive collection of documents from and about the state’s rich history. The State Library also serves California’s local libraries, providing more than $500 million state and federal funds to support public libraries and deliver statewide programs and services.

The Palace Project was born of the belief that the public library is the digital center of knowledge and creativity for their community. A robust suite of content, services and tools for the delivery of ebooks, audiobooks and other digital media to benefit public libraries and their patrons, The Palace Project offers a seamless, easy-to-use system, including platform, content and mobile app, for libraries to engage directly with patrons and improve, enhance and expand the resources available to them. The Palace Project is supported by Lyrasis, in strategic partnership with the Digital Public Library of America.

Lyrasis is a community-focused, mission-driven nonprofit that partners with archives, libraries, museums and research communities to ensure enduring access to our shared academic, scientific and cultural heritage. Home to The Palace Project, BiblioBoard, the Indie Author Project, DSpace, ArchivesSpace and other community-supported programs, Lyrasis offers technologies and services to help knowledge professionals and collections-holding organizations worldwide foster collaboration, solve problems and build solutions to benefit the wider community.