Library tours that work for every patron, in every language.
Replace single-language paper handouts with QR-delivered audio guides built to WCAG 2.1 AA. Transcripts, captions, screen-reader support, and 14 languages on every stop. Designed to clear the accessibility procurement checklist your board already asked you to meet.
Why public libraries pick Wexplo
The pains we actually solve.
Accessibility is a procurement blocker, not a wish-list item
Public libraries answer to state, regional, and federal accessibility regulations. The European Accessibility Act, ADA Title III, AODA, and the underlying WCAG 2.1 AA standard all expect audio content to be readable, audible, and operable by patrons with visual, hearing, cognitive, or motor needs. Most legacy audio-guide vendors fail this check at the first audit.
Your community is multilingual; your handouts are not
A public library in a US city serves Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, and Haitian Creole patrons in the same building. Reprinting in six languages is unaffordable. Wexplo ships native-accent audio plus full text in 14 languages by default.
Budget tolerance is low and contract cycles are long
Library budgets do not absorb $10,000 hardware deployments and per-device per-year renewals. Wexplo is SaaS, starts free, and the typical fit is $149 a month for three branches. No headsets to buy, no rental fleet to replace.
The visitor experience has to work without staff intervention
Self-guided is the only model that scales when the desk is staffed by one librarian on a Saturday. Patrons scan the QR, the audio guide opens in their browser, no signup, no app install, no library-card lookup.
What we ship
A complete audio guide layer, out of the box.
Built on the same WCAG 2.1 AA audio-access layer that powers our /eaa-compliance offering. Every stop in every language ships with the accessibility primitives your audit will ask for, with no upgrade tier and no per-language fee.
Reading preferences for patrons with print disabilities
In-app font size, dyslexia-friendly toggles, high-contrast mode, and respect for the device system preference. The same controls patrons already use on iPhone and Android Accessibility settings carry over to the audio guide.
Transcripts and captions in every language
Every stop ships with a full readable transcript and captions in all 14 languages, generated alongside the audio. Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons read the same content hearing patrons listen to. No separate workflow, no additional cost.
14 languages, native accent
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, Arabic. Write your tour once; the platform translates and narrates with native-accent voices, no third party studio.
Author talks and event recordings, inline
Upload an MP3 of an author talk, a local-history interview, or a recurring program intro. Drop a marker into the stop narration; the AI introduces the segment, then the author speaks. The community archive becomes part of the building tour.
Audit-ready, with documentation
See /eaa-compliance for the accessibility audit checklist Wexplo clears by default. WCAG 2.1 AA tested against screen readers; semantic HTML, ARIA labels, keyboard navigation, captions, transcripts, photo alt text in every language. Hand this page to your accessibility officer.
Stops fit a library, not a tour bus
A historic library tour can be 15 stops; a behind-the-scenes archive tour can be 6. Indoor sites get a numbered list patrons tap; no GPS, no outdoor wayfinding required. The first stop welcomes patrons; the last invites them to a program or a card signup.
Why now
What rented hardware and curated apps cannot do.
Each of these is a category-level fact about how Wexplo is built. No vendor names; see the competitor comparison pages for the head-to-head.
- Accessibility is a default, not an enterprise upgrade. WCAG 2.1 AA on every visitor page, on every tier including free.
- No app install means patrons without smartphones can still listen via a partner or a kiosk; the URL works in any browser.
- 14 languages on every stop, written into the contract by default. No per-language fee, no translation backlog.
- SaaS pricing means no hardware deployment, no per-device renewals, no headset cleaning schedule.
- Curated audio-guide programs that only accept large institutions exclude most public libraries; Wexplo is open to any library, branch, or friends-of-library group.
Pricing
Growth, $149 a month, is the fit.
Growth covers 3 branches and 150 stops across them; a typical fit for a town library system with a main branch, a satellite, and a special-collections archive. Wexplo branding removed. The free tier covers a single-branch pilot at no cost.
Free tier: 1 site, 5 stops, all 14 languages. Starter $49/mo, Growth $149/mo, Business $399/mo, Enterprise custom. See full pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Do you meet European Accessibility Act 2025 requirements?
Wexplo covers the audio-guide layer end-to-end against EAA, ADA Title III, AODA, and the underlying WCAG 2.1 AA standard. Building access (ramps, tactile signage, ticketing kiosks, parking) stays with your facilities team. See /eaa-compliance for the full per-impairment-category checklist and what each visitor page ships by default. We do not claim a whole-library compliance certificate; any vendor that does is overclaiming.
Is there a free tier we can pilot with?
Yes. The free tier covers one site with five stops in all 14 languages forever, Wexplo branded. Most libraries pilot a behind-the-scenes archive tour or a historic-building tour on the free tier first, then move to Growth ($149/mo) once the board signs off on the broader rollout.
How does this work for patrons with print disabilities, low vision, or who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing?
Every stop ships with screen-reader support, ARIA-labeled audio controls, full transcripts and captions in all 14 languages, photo alt text generated for each language, adjustable playback speed (0.25x to 2x), and keyboard navigation across the whole guide. Patrons can also switch the visitor page to dark mode and adjust font size from the device system settings.
Can patrons listen without installing anything?
Yes. The QR code on each stop opens the audio guide in the patron browser. No App Store, no library-card lookup, no signup. The URL works for patrons using assistive technology on iOS and Android, including switch control and voice control.
How do updates work after we publish?
Through the staff dashboard, on your schedule, with no developer involvement. Edit a stop, re-translate, re-narrate, and the QR codes stay the same. No re-printing physical signage, no App Store review cycle.
Can we add author talks, oral histories, or local-history recordings into the tour?
Yes. Upload an MP3 of any length and drop a marker into the stop narration. The AI introduces the segment, then the author or interview subject plays. This lets the library archive become part of the building tour without a separate app or platform.
A library tour every patron can use, every day, without staff overhead.
Book a 20 minute demo and we will draft three stops from your library, generate them in 14 languages, and you can scan the QR codes before we hang up. Bring your accessibility officer; we will walk them through the WCAG 2.1 AA layer end-to-end.