Update on Baker & Taylor and eGO Community Sharing

On Monday, the CT State Library was informed that Baker & Taylor will be winding down operations over the coming months. On Friday, September 26, Baker & Taylor announced that the proposed ReaderLink acquisition of Baker & Taylor had terminated and without a sustainable pathway forward, Baker & Taylor made the decision to wind down the business.

As we understand the impact of this change, we have addressed a few of the most immediate questions below.  We intend to continue sharing with you as more information becomes available.

What does this mean for K12 schools?

• We have been advised that the shutdown of the eGO Community Sharing Program will occur no later than December 30, 2025, and possibly sooner.
• Once the eGO Community Sharing program closes the ebooks and audiobooks on Boundless will no longer be accessible from the Boundless app and Destiny catalog for K12 schools.

How can we access ebooks and audiobooks now?

• Once this process is complete, the only way to access the Connecticut State Library ebook and eaudio content will be through the Palace app as a part of eGO CT.
• eGO CT is the CT State Library’s statewide library ebook and audiobook platform that uses the Palace Project app to provide access to a growing collection of 50,000 titles.
• Please note, the Palace app holds a collection similar in scope to that of a public library; the content is not scoped for a K12 collection.
• The Palace app enables access to the CT State Library collection in two ways:
• With a local CT public library card, and
• With a Palace app virtual library card through the CT State Library.

What’s next?

• We are exploring multiple alternatives and possibilities to create a resource sharing opportunity with the CT State Library for K12 sites. As it is early days, we hope to have further updates in the coming weeks.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these changes. We will continue to communicate updates as we receive them regarding the status of Baker & Taylor and the eGO Community Sharing Program as well as share developments on alternative resource sharing opportunities.

For those of you interested in beginning to use the Palace app, please visit www.eGOCT.org.