Readium provides open-source software for reading digital publications like EPUB. It has four projects including Readium JS and SDK. Readium-2 is a new approach that will have a modular architecture, support additional formats like audiobooks, and be released under a BSD license. It is being developed by a community including the Readium Foundation, Feedbooks, NYPL, and EDRLab to create a sustainable solution and reference reader for EPUB 3.1.

1. Readium
The perfect EPUB / PWP companion
EPUB Summit, 09 March 2017
Hadrien Gardeur, Laurent Le Meur
contact@edrlab.org

2. Readium
Foundation
Over 70 members
Open-source codebase
github.com/readium
Updated project info
readium.github.io
Project management
Ric Wright

3. Four projects
Readium JS
Readium SDK
Readium-2
Readium LCP
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4. Readium JS & SDK
Open-source reading
engine for EPUB
documents.
Interoperability! Mature project
Still evolving
In the last year, from
v 0.22 to 0.25

5. Readium SDK
Started in 2013
Mobile and desktop
Dual-license
C++ and Javascript
Supports multiple DRMs
More than 12 known apps

6. Readium
Chrome
Extension
2 Feb 2017 -> v. 2.25.0
> 600.000 users
Google to phase out Chrome apps in 2018
except on Chrome OS
=> Need to get Readium Desktop in 2017

7. Readium Cloud Reader
Testing across multiple platforms
is a major challenge
Some automated testing
Tests by students, managed by Baker and Taylor

8. Challenges for "Readium-1"
Still missing
Bookmarks; Search; Annotations; Dictionaries; Index
EPUB 3.1 additions
Still MANY open issues, many of them obsolete
Complex codebase
Small active community

9. Readium-1 -> Readium-2
Readium-1 is going well
But difficult to tackle for
newcomers
No clear separation btw
parsing and navigation parts
Readium-2 = new approach

10. A new approach
Design & document the architecture very early in the
process
More native code, less C++ & JS
Integrate unit testing in every project
Less EPUB centric: will support PWP, audiobooks,
comics ...
Released under a BSD license.

11. Current implementers
Core team
Feedbooks (France; architecture, Go)
NYPL (USA; Swift, Typescript)
EDRLab (EU; Swift, Typescript, Java)
Art Book Magazine (France; Swift)
CodeToArt (India; Java)
Also attracts open-source teams
Folio Reader (iOS, Android)
EPUB.js (Web)

12. Project Management
Community-driven based on implementers needs
Parallel implementations (Go, iOS, java ...)
No strict agenda or timeline
All code & documentation through Github
Weekly call every Wednesday

13. Architecture
Modular approach,
Each module is independent
Core modules:
Streamer
Navigator
Streamer
Navigator
Web Publication
manifest
Resources

14. Readium Web Publication
Manifest
Based on earlier work on EPUB, during 3.1 revision
Simplified model, JSON serialization
May be submitted to the W3C DPUB WG as an input
document
Already used in Go for both EPUB and CBZ, other
formats coming soon

15. From EPUB to the Web
Each Readium-2 module is designed to also be useful
on the Web
Go streamer is already a bridge between EPUB and
the Web
Readium-2 will provide input to the W3C
… and implement WP/PWP/EPUB 4 in parallel to the
spec effort

16. Challenges
Create a sustainable community
Create an EPUB 3.1 complete reference RS
Achieve consistency between target environments

17. Conclusion
Mature solution: Readium SDK and JS
Willing to invest some time: participate to Readium-2