Massachusetts street sign with chickadee sitting on books

About CommonShelf

  • Immediate access with a virtual library card that anyone in Massachusetts can get through the app.
  • A growing collection of 20,000 eBooks and audiobooks with titles in Spanish Shorter holds/wait time.
  • Access to Amazon-exclusive titles, indie publishers and authors. 
  • Your library purchases eBooks and audiobooks that everyone across the state can use—the same way we share print materials 
  • CommonShelf is made possible by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Boston Public Library, the Massachusetts Library System and your local library with federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

How to Get Started with CommonShelf's Palace Project App and Get a Virtual Library Card

  1. Install the Palace Project app available in both the Apple App Store for iOS phones and tablets and the Google Play Store for Android phones and tablets. 
  2. Inside the app, use the “find my library” search function to find “CommonShelf of Massachusetts.”  
  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. 

Virtual cards can only be used with CommonShelf. If you already have a Boston Public Library Card or eCard, you can log in with your card number and PIN instead.