We’ve used Lean Library for several years and I’m going to be honest – it’s one of my favourite bits of library technology!
Matthew Hawkes, Academic Librarian
University of East Anglia
Give your library a louder voice
Lean Library
Promotes your library to your users via an app on their browser, streamlining access to your content and services, whether they’re on Google Scholar, ChatGPT, PubMed, or beyond. Lean Library’s browser extension drives usage of library resources and saves users time and money when discovering content – and now connects users to a personal Workspace to make referencing simple, collaboration effortless and authoring easier.
Request a demoConnects and benefits your
library and its users
Takes your library to your users
Takes all of your library’s content and services into your users’ online workflows to promote your library’s services, increase usage of content, amplify your value, and gain deeper insights.
Gives users an uninterrupted research rhythm
Provides end-to-end support across the entire research workflow to streamline access to content, connect users with library services and support, and boost student success and researcher productivity.
Key features
Streamline access to library content to increase usage
Integrates with your ILS and authentication system to streamline access to your library’s holdings and subscriptions when users search for articles and eBooks online. Increases usage of library content up to 40% and saves users 3 mins per search.
Promote the library throughout user workflows
Surfaces tailored messages from your library on any domain, with fully customizable branding, and showcases your tools or special collections, ultimately promoting your library to users an average of 100k times a year.
Unlock free content to save money for both the library and its users
Redirects users to over 30M Open Access articles and 75k Open Access eBooks when they hit paywalls, saving an estimated $40k per year. Integrates with Unpaywall, the OAPEN Foundation and a growing list of Open Access repositories – filling gaps in your collections.
Surface library guidance and instruction online
Delivers LibGuides, LibChat and other guidance material on any academic resource or website to reach users right when they need it. This drove usage of one library’s LibGuides over 400%.
Bring the library discovery service to Google and beyond
Showcases the power of your library’s discovery service via the extension pop-up sites like Google and Google Scholar, so users can search your library holdings from Google and beyond.
Put the library at the heart of every research journey
Takes the library deeper into research workflows with our new Lean Library Workspace offering. Supports users right through to reference management, project collaboration and authoring work – while bringing actionable insights back to the library.
Why choose Lean Library?
01
The original visionary innovator, backed by Sage
Lean Library is the original innovator in the market, originally created by librarians to champion the future of the library – with Sage’s backing to always think several years ahead. We have a long-held plan and destination, stay with us for the journey.
02
Works across all pillars of the library
Lean Library is far more than an access broker. We launched as an access broker with a difference, and then brought all pillars of the library into patron online workflow. We plan to extend our reach across the patron workflow beyond access and discovery and into citation, authoring and beyond.
03
Amplifies your library’s value and impact
Lean Library is the ultimate promotional tool for your library, putting your library back in the patron workflow and increasing visibility and usage of your resources and services.
04
Puts patrons in the driving seat to enhance productivity
Lean Library ultimately helps the library help their patrons. We boost patron productivity, shaving an average of 3 mins off every patron search, support the critical assessment of resources they use and ultimately improve student outcomes and research output.
05
Open integration with more OA repositories than other providers
We value openness and integrate with more Open Access databases and other library service providers than any other tool. Being part of Technology from Sage also means we benefit from shared services with Talis Aspire, including our own growing Open Access and OER repository.
How it Works
Library subscription
Your library can subscribe for institution-wide use of the Lean Library browser extension and Lean Library Workspace website. Your users need to download the extension and create a Workspace account, and we can help your promotion and deliver mass deployment on your institution’s computers.
Configuration via the Librarian Dashboard
Your library can configure your institution’s settings and get deep insights into usage and value in a personalized Librarian Dashboard.
Full implementation and expert support
Our expert support team will guide you through implementation and ensure your ongoing success. You’ll also get access to our global community of librarians to connect and share best practice.
Request a Demo
Are you a student?
Head over to our download page to add Lean Library to your browser.
Download Lean LibraryWhat other libraries
achieve with Lean Library
case study
University of Lancaster
Working with Lancaster University to support their user-centred strategy, raise online visibility of unique and distinct special collections and deliver librarian support into patron workflows.
Read Article
Don’t just take
our word for it
[Lean Library] is one of the most exciting projects I’ve been working on in my many years of being a librarian.
Janina Van der Westhuizen, Technical Services Manager
The University of Johannesburg
I really appreciate working with the Lean Library team. The Lean Library team responds quickly and kindly to our concerns and is always open to suggestions. They, in turn, give us suggestions on how to better reach our users.
Laura Tobler, Information Specialist for eResources
Bern University of Applied Sciences
From Acquisitions Librarians to requests from external faculty members, Lean Library has helped internal staff to see more easily what the university library owns and access these resources immediately.
Derek Malone, University Librarian and Associate Professor
The University of North Alabama Library
The implementation of Lean Library in Mersey Care has contributed towards a 45% increase in online journal usage…
Andrew Cheney, Evidence Services Lead
NHS Mersey Care
Having invested so much time to provide our patrons with library training materials, we want to see them used. With Lean Library Futures delivering our LibGuides into our patrons’ workflow, we have seen usage for a LibGuide increase by 450%.
Jason Folkman, Electronic Resources Librarian
Utah State University
I love this extension. It improves my search for articles a thousand times. You have taken away a most hated hurdle in my life.
Undergraduate Student, Utrecht University
I wanted to say how much easier life has been when doing research with the roll out of the Lean Library plug-in for web browsers.
Postgraduate Student, The University of Manchester
Lean Library has meant that I’ve had one less thing to stress about as a new doctoral student!
Kacey Dragan, PhD Candidate
Harvard University
Ready to give it a try?
Request a demo to see how Lean Library can make a difference to your library and its users.
Request a demo