# Lean Library

> The Lean Library extension is a free tool which assists your library in delivering their services directly into your research workflow in more ways than one!

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/library\_access](https://chrome-stats.com/d/library_access)

## Overview

- **ID:** `library_access`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Lean Library
- **Category:** other
- **Daily users:** 7,926
- **Weekly downloads:** 239
- **Rating:** 2.68 / 5 (68 ratings)
- **Version:** 2026.9.1
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-26
- **First published:** 2017-02-22
- **Size:** 12 MB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-04
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/library_access/)
- **Website:** [https://leanlibrary.com/](https://leanlibrary.com/)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/library\_access/privacy/](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/library_access/privacy/)

## Description

The Lean Library extension is a free tool that integrates library services directly into your browser-based research workflow. With Lean Library Access, you’ll receive notifications when a site contains material your library can provide, and a single click redirects you to the content—no paywalls, no multiple logins.

Lean Library Open unlocks instant, legal access to millions of free academic papers, even if you’re not affiliated with an institution. Simply download the extension and select Lean Library Open. Futures is an upcoming service that will bring additional library features into your workflow through the extension.

## Rankings

- #883 — Overall
- #122 — Other extensions
- #1 — library
- #11 — deliver
- #25 — lead
- #28 — effort

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `storage`
- `tabs`
- `alarms`
- `activeTab`
- `webNavigation`
- `contextMenus`
- `unlimitedStorage`

### Host permissions

- `http://*/*`
- `https://*/*`
- `<all_urls>`

### Content script matches

- `*`
- `<all_urls>`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** High risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** High risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- Grants access to browser tabs, which can be used to track user browsing habits and history, presenting a privacy concern.
- This extension was recently updated in the past month. New updates may not be stable or safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Review summary

Users find Lean Library very useful for accessing university-licensed papers, but many report severe performance and stability problems. Common complaints: it slows or freezes browsing, runs on non-academic sites with unreliable disable controls, breaks some websites or other extensions, and has a clunkier, more intrusive UI than alternatives like Sciwheel.

### Pros

- Effectively finds versions of papers accessible through university library accounts, helping access paywalled academic content.
- Useful research tool/shortcut to institution resources — saves time when it works.
- Some users report reliable access to literature and easy institution sign-in when the extension loads properly.

### Cons

- Severe performance problems: slows browsing, causes pages or the browser to hang or freeze.
- Always-on behavior and poor site controls — runs on non-academic sites, pops up where it shouldn’t, and disable switches are unreliable.
- Bugs and instability: breaks some websites and interferes with other extensions; can get stuck on loading or have login/selection issues.
- Clunky UI and feature bloat compared with predecessor (Sciwheel): saving citations takes more steps and overlays can be intrusive.

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/library_access)