Lenny
for Libraries
Lenny
for Libraries
for Libraries
for Libraries
Lenny is an plug-and-play, open-source, Library-in-a-Box that empowers libraries to preserve, own, and lend digital books on their own terms.
Get Lenny running in minutes with our simple one-line installation command
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ArchiveLabs/lenny/refs/heads/main/install.sh | sudo sh
Automatically installs Docker and all required components
Configures Lenny with sensible defaults for immediate use
Includes security settings and optimization for library use
Requires a Linux system with curl and sudo access. Compatible with Ubuntu, Debian, Mac, and most modern distributions.
Today's libraries are trapped in endless rental cycles, paying repeatedly for the same ebooks without ever truly owning them.
Libraries pay year after year to rent the same digital content, draining budgets that could serve communities better.
When you rent, you never own. Libraries can't build lasting digital collections or ensure long-term access.
Most libraries have no alternative to expensive rental platforms for digital lending and preservation.
Everything you need to own, preserve, and share digital books your way
Lenny comes preloaded with thousands of open access titles, giving you an instant digital collection.
Maintain the direct relationship with your patrons while offering modern digital lending experiences.
Your collection becomes instantly discoverable through industry-standard OPDS feeds.
Imagine a world where every library is a critical destination in a unified, global network
Each library library becomes an independent node in a connected ecosystem, maintaining full control over their collections while benefiting from network effects.
Super-charges every library into a digitally sovereign, discoverable partner
Connects 11.5 million readers to find and borrow books directly from participating libraries
Empowers authors and publishers to escape corporate platforms and securely sell DRM-free books
Deploy Lenny however works best for your library's infrastructure and expertise
Run Lenny as a Docker container on your own server. Full control, full flexibility, zero vendor lock-in.
Get Lenny pre-installed on a Raspberry Pi. Plug it in and start lending digital books securely.
Let us take care of everything. A hosted Lenny instance with a web dashboard for simple, secure access.
Free, open source, built by nonprofits for the public good.
Lenny is an open prototype, incubated by Archive Labs and the team behind Open Library at the Internet Archive. It's designed as a public good: a free digital circulation system for libraries that want to preserve, lend, and serve their communities on their own terms.
Open source Docker-powered server you control
Delivered ready-to-run on Raspberry Pi hardware
Access via a clean web interface with zero setup
Built-in LCP support + Thorium Web Reader
Always up-to-date via OpenLibrary.org
OPDS feed works with Thorium, SimplyE, Aldiko