Authoring Experiences

Flexible Content Libraries

Scaffold

Overview

Flexible Content Libraries allow course authors to create reusable content blocks that can be referenced across multiple courses — useful for shared questions, standardized content, and random problem selection. Libraries decouple content authoring from course structure.

The platform currently has two library implementations:

• Libraries v1: The original library system built on the Studio monolith

• Libraries v2: A complete rewrite on the `openedx-learning` backend, offering better versioning, publishing workflows, and hierarchical organization

Current State (2026)

• Libraries v1: Still supported; allows creating question banks and referencing blocks in courses via a "Randomized Content Block"

• Libraries v2: New implementation on `openedx-learning`; available in `frontend-app-authoring`; better component model and publishing workflow

• UI: Both v1 and v2 library management accessible from `frontend-app-authoring`

• Randomization: Libraries are the primary mechanism for randomized assessment — courses draw random blocks from a library for each learner

Architecture

• Libraries v1: Backed by MongoDB (same as course content); managed via Studio CMS in `edx-platform`

• Libraries v2: Backed by `openedx-learning` Django service (relational DB); new content component model with versioning and publishing states

• Course reference: Courses reference library blocks via "library content block" XBlock (`LibraryContentBlock`)

• Publishing: Libraries v2 introduces explicit publish states (draft/published) for each component

History

Origin

• Year introduced: ~2016 (Libraries v1 introduced as "Content Libraries" feature)

• Initial implementation: Studio-based library editor storing content in MongoDB, same storage as course content

• Context: Instructors needed reusable question banks for randomized assessments; libraries solved the copy-paste problem

Key Milestones

~2016

Libraries v1 ("Content Libraries") introduced

~2021–2022

Libraries v2 design and `openedx-learning` development begins

~2023–2025

Libraries v2 progressively released

Open Questions

?When were Content Libraries first introduced and what was the product motivation?
?What limitations of v1 drove the decision to rewrite as v2?
?What is the `openedx-learning` project's full scope beyond libraries?
?How does randomization from libraries work technically at the learner level?
?What are the most common use cases for content libraries in production deployments?