Lenny for Libraries

Quick Installation

Get Lenny running in minutes with our simple one-line installation command

Terminal Command


                curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ArchiveLabs/lenny/refs/heads/main/install.sh | sudo sh

Downloads Dependencies

Automatically installs Docker and all required components

Quick Setup

Configures Lenny with sensible defaults for immediate use

Production Ready

Includes security settings and optimization for library use

System Requirements

Requires a Mac & Linux system with curl and sudo access. Compatible with Ubuntu, Debian, and most modern Linux distributions.

Libraries Need Digital Independence

Today's libraries are trapped in endless rental cycles, paying repeatedly for the same ebooks without ever truly owning them.

Unsustainable Costs

Libraries pay year after year to rent the same digital content, draining budgets that could serve communities better.

No Ownership

When you rent, you never own. Libraries can't build lasting digital collections or ensure long-term access.

Limited Options

Most libraries have no alternative to expensive rental platforms for digital lending and preservation.

What is Lenny?

Lenny is a library server that features everything you need to preserve, lend, and serve digital books your way

Bookshelf

Securely store and host millions of digital books.

Card Catalog

Automatically publish an OPDS feed of your books using up-to-date book metadata from OpenLibrary.org.

Lending System

Securely lend books using configurable lending rules and Built-in LCP support

Book Reader

Thorium Web powers epub reading, directly in the web browser.

Marketplace

Easily purchase and add new titles to your Library.

Mobile Apps

Directly load your Lenny feed with Thorium Mobile, SimplyE, Aldiko, and other OPDS-compatible mobile apps.

Ready to Go

Preloaded with Thousands of Books

Lenny comes preloaded with thousands of open access titles, giving you an instant digital collection to start serving your community immediately.

A Federated Future for Libraries

Imagine a world where every library is a critical destination in a unified, global network

Digitally Sovereign Partners

Each library library becomes an independent node in a connected ecosystem, maintaining full control over their collections while benefiting from network effects.

The Open Ecosystem:

Lenny

Super-charges every library into a digitally sovereign, discoverable partner

OpenLibrary.org

Connects 11.5 million readers to find and borrow books directly from participating libraries

OpenLibrary.press

Empowers authors and publishers to escape corporate platforms and securely sell DRM-free books

Choose Your Deployment

Deploy Lenny however works best for your library's infrastructure and expertise

Self-Hosted

Run Lenny as a Docker container on your own server. Full control, full flexibility, zero vendor lock-in.

Open source & customizable
Runs on standard Linux infrastructure
Integrated with Open Library metadata

Recommended

Plug & Play

Get Lenny pre-installed on a Raspberry Pi. Plug it in and start lending digital books securely.

No setup required
Offline-ready local lending
Simple updates & connectivity

Hosted

Let us take care of everything. A hosted Lenny instance with a web dashboard for simple, secure access.

Zero maintenance
Web-based admin tools
Scalable and secure infrastructure

Built by Libraries, For Libraries

Lenny is an open-source project by Archive Labs and the Internet Archive team behind Open Library.

Free & Open Source

Built for the public good

Get Started

Lenny: The Library-in-a-Box