Rahvusraamatukogu
Ongoing
2022 - present day
Short summary of the project
We developed My Library (MIRKO), an innovative platform for the National Library of Estonia, combining physical and digital book borrowing. The service includes “Books on the move” for book delivery and “E-publication borrowing” for free access to ebooks and audiobooks. Launched in February 2023, the platform provides seamless access to nearly two million physical books and thousands of digital publications, simplifying the borrowing process for Estonian readers.
About the client
The National Library of Estonia (RaRa) is a public facility of culture, memory, research and development.
The mission of the facility is promoting librarianship, the collection and preservation of Estonian cultural heritage and ensuring the availability thereof according to the expectations of the society.
The physical space and online platforms of the National Library bring together the creators, interpreters and consumers of culture. The RaRa collection contains nearly 3.5 million works issued in Estonia or related to Estonia or Estonians, the oldest work dating back to the 15th century.
Library innovation of the digital era
Commissioned by the National Library of Estonia (RaRa), Net Group has developed a novel online solution and smart app My Library (MIRKO), which consists of two applications. The first solutions “Books on the move,” launched in September 2022, brings the collections of all contributing libraries to a single service with a smart search, allowing the reader to borrow a desired book and have it delivered to their home or to a package terminal of their choice. The second application “E-publication borrowing” offers Estonian readers free borrowing of ebooks, audiobooks and periodicals and for them to be read or listened to both online and in the app.
MIRKO is closely related to a third application also developed by Net Group, allowing the user to log in once and then comfortably switch between apps without having to log in again. Together, these developments form the first nationwide service of RaRa, titled My Library or MIRKO, which is fully usable since February 2023.
Purpose of the project
Estonia has nearly 900 libraries which use varying online catalogues and library systems. The National Library aimed to increase borrowing activity and keep up with the times.
RaRa wanted to create a platform all libraries would be able to join, and to ensure convenient book borrowing for readers regardless of location. Complexity was added by ebooks in the form of setting up issues and managing files, the large number and variety of mobile devices, and adhering to borrowing conditions set by publishers in the environments. Additional complexity was due to the fact that no such solution previously existed in Estonia and the client also desired to merge these three projects to create a uniform, simple and logical solution that would meet modern expectations – the opportunity to borrow various types of books without leaving home.
We were able to achieve
From a technical aspect, the final version of MIRKO consisted of three separate complex software development projects with service design (Move the Book + e-publication borrowing + SSO or harmonized access solution). The final product is a novel platform allowing readers to find reading material of interest from the joint MIRKO environment regardless of location of the publication and to borrow them in the format of their choice based on their ID code.
Goals completed 100%
Creating MIRKO gave readers an Estonia-wide book search, bringing the collections of Estonian libraries into a single easy search function.
Borrowing books for free, either on paper or as ebooks and audiobooks, became location-independent for readers. You only need to pay for courier service if you order the book to an actual package terminal. Using MIRKO takes only authentication with mobile ID, Smart ID or ID card and the user can then find a book to borrow among nearly two million physical copies and over 3,000 ebooks and 300 audiobooks. The MIRKO platform opened up the possibility of new forms of borrowing and a modern library solution has been created in cooperation to a payment service provider, couriers, libraries, ebook and audiobook manufacturers.
Technologies Used
TypeScript
React
React Native
Next.js
.NET 6
Entity Framework
MS SQL Server
Our Collaborative Process
Discover
Discover
Define
Define
Ideate
Ideate
Develop
Develop
Testing
Testing
Keywords from the project
The project introduced an innovative platform that allows location-independent borrowing of physical books, while also providing a unified environment for accessing ebooks and audiobooks. Developed in close cooperation with the client, the solution enables seamless access via Single Sign-On (SSO) for users to easily access a wide range of reading materials.
- 01 The innovative “Move the Book” project resulted in a uniform platform for borrowing physical books regardless of location or specific library.
- 02 IT solutions developed specifically in cooperation with the client that had never been done in this form in Estonia before, adding an innovative environment for borrowing online publications.
- 03 The reader can log in comfortably and quickly access a huge number of physical, ebooks and audiobooks.
Together, we achieved these goals
Through effective collaboration, we delivered a unified platform that integrates physical and digital book borrowing across all Estonian libraries. MIRKO enables readers to borrow books from any location and offers an easy, modern way to access both traditional and digital publications.
- 01 15 libraries took part in creating and testing the service
- 02 Nearly 50 libraries have joined (approx. 600 libraries could join in theory)
- 03 Over 1400 readers could pitch in during the development
- 04 5,100 active users in total as at June 2023
Client Feedback
If your core business
objectives are
Let the success
journey begin
Our goal is to help take your organization to new heights of success through innovative digital solutions. Let us work together to turn your dreams into reality.
