/ The Unhinged Librarian

The ownership map

Who owns it

Every owner, parent company, and household this site has documented sitting above the tools your library runs. The patron sees a friendly app. Here is who sits above it. Each one links to the filing.

KKRPrivate equity

  • OverDriveowns Libby / Sora, the rails your patrons read on
  • Simon & Schusterowns the books you license back
  • Amplifysells analytics built from your patrons’ reading

One owner, both sides of the deal.

Read the filing →

Francisco PartnersPrivate equity

  • bought Follett School Solutionsin 2021, its K-12 software and content division
  • Destinyruns in 75,000+ K-12 schools worldwide, by Follett’s own count

A market-leading school library system, now owned by private equity.

Source: American Libraries →

Baker & TaylorChapter 11

  • Boundless / LibraryOnesold for $750,000
  • the buyeris the ex-B&T team that built it

A digital lending platform for less than a warehouse building.

Read the filing →

The Stephens householdUtah

  • RatedBooks.orgpopularized the “this book is porn” report
  • S&S Apps, LLCsells the $5 NarraTrue scanner that fills it

The reports and the scanner trace to one address.

Read the filing →

Librar LabsY Combinator

  • Librar Labspitches districts an AI layer over the school library
  • the filingtraces who is behind it and where the money came from

The library was the wedge into the school.

Read the filing →

BookmarkEDTexas vendor

  • BookmarkEDsells districts a “book intelligence” compliance dashboard
  • $130,000+across Texas, with under 0.04% parent uptake

A six-figure spend to remove books, not to serve parents.

Read the filing →

This map grows with the work. Each entry is drawn from the filing it links to, and every claim there carries its source. Spotted an owner we have missed, or a structure that changed? Reach me through the About page.