Category: News Release

News Release — ConnectNY Launches ReShare Returnables

ConnectNY, a consortium of independent academic institutions in New York State, launched ReShare Returnables on September 1, 2021. ConnectNY follows closely on the heels of the PALCI consortium, which implemented ReShare Returnables in August. 

The Board of Directors of ConnectNY was looking for a different product to support resource sharing when ConnectNY joined the ReShare community in 2019. Pamela Jones, ConnectNY’s Executive Director, remarked, “We are excited and proud to have implemented ReShare already. Our consortium is small, but our membership is willing to take risks to improve services and programs. Choosing to work with Index Data made the move to ReShare possible for us.”

Jones also commented on the appeal of supporting an open source project like ReShare. “It is exciting to be a part of an open source community where our ConnectNY members have a say in the ongoing development of a product.”

Tim McGeary, chair of the Project Reshare Steering Committee, congratulated ConnectNY on its successful launch. “The ConnectNY team worked closely with Index Data to ensure a smooth transition to Project ReShare,” McGeary said. “On behalf of the Steering Committee, I’d like to express my congratulations and gratitude to ConnectNY for being a pioneering implementer of ReShare Returnables.”

ReShare Returnables supports interlibrary loan of physical materials between members of a consortium. The software, built using the open source FOLIO platform, uses an app-based approach to resource sharing workflows. Index Data and Knowledge Integration are lead developers on the project, with numerous members of the ReShare community also contributing to development. The apps include a member directory, queues to manage requesting and supplying workflows, and a bulk update tool. A shared inventory app allows ReShare libraries to pool their bibliographic metadata for discovery and fulfillment purposes.

More information about the Returnables product and a video demonstration can be found at https://projectreshare.org/products/product-demo. 

Background

The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. The ReShare Community has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set a new standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require. 

For more information, contact ​info@projectreshare.org​.

To receive email updates from Project ReShare, please sign up for the Project ReShare news list at https://projectreshare.org/contact.

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Media Contact

Lisa Croucher
Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): trln.org, Executive Director
Project ReShare: projectreshare.org, Communication Team, Chair
info@projectreshare.org

News Release — ReShare Returnables Launched by PALCI

On August 12, 2021, the ReShare Returnables software went into full production, actively supporting the resource sharing needs of the PALCI consortium, including more than 50 diverse academic libraries located in PA, NY, NJ, and WV. This inaugural launch of ReShare Returnables marks almost exactly three years since a group of visionary open source software developers and consortial leaders met at Swarthmore College near Philadelphia, PA to chart the path of this innovative and inspirational project.

“We are thrilled to be the first library consortium to launch what is now the world’s first community-owned open source consortial borrowing system. ReShare will transform our ability to share our libraries’ collections and innovate in ways that will serve our patrons for years to come,” says PALCI Executive Director Jill Morris.

Morris has been a strong advocate for and leader of Project ReShare since its inception, having served as the inaugural chair of the Project ReShare Steering Committee. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the hard work of so many people over the past three years coming to fruition. It’s been a great honor to participate in this project with so many of my colleagues, and I’m proud of what it represents, especially as it offers a sustainable model for successful open source software collaborations across sectors and organizations.”

ReShare Returnables is the first production software to come out of the open source, collaborative community. The Returnables software represents the first step in ReShare’s goal of creating a consortial resource sharing system that will enable sharing of the collective collection in all formats, regardless of integrated library system, and empowering library-driven and user centered workflows. 

In an average year, PALCI libraries borrow and lend more than 150,000 physical items from their collections to each other through PALCI’s well-regarded EZBorrow consortial borrowing program. EZBorrow, powered by the ReShare software, allows patrons to send borrowing requests to lending libraries automatically without involving library staff, saving staff time and giving patrons efficient, world-class access to more than 10 million unique items across the consortium’s shared collections.

ReShare Returnables supports interlibrary loan of physical materials between members of a consortium. The software, built using the open source FOLIO platform, uses an app-based approach to resource sharing workflows. The apps include a member directory, queues to manage requesting and supplying workflows, and a bulk update tool. A shared inventory app allows ReShare libraries to pool their bibliographic metadata for discovery and fulfillment purposes.

“ReShare is the result of a deep, open collaboration between a group of libraries, consortia, and companies, based on the notion that infrastructure should be owned by communities, not by individual organizations,” said Lynn Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of Index Data, the first certified service provider for Project ReShare. “This project has inspired and motivated us at Index Data in ways we could not have imagined, and it’s been a privilege to be part of it. We’ve developed a complete set of services that enable consortia and other resource sharing groups to offer ReShare to their membership in a reliable, cost-effective way. Today we celebrate the PALCI launch and the hard work of our team and partners on this momentous occasion!”

ConnectNY,  a consortium of independent academic institutions in New York State, will launch ReShare Returnables later this month. 

More information about the Returnables product and a video demonstration can be found at https://projectreshare.org/products/product-demo. 

Background

The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. The ReShare Community has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set a new standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.

For more information, contact info@projectreshare.org.

To receive email updates from Project ReShare, please sign up for the Project ReShare news list at https://projectreshare.org/contact.

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Media Contact

Lisa Croucher
Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): trln.org, Executive Director
Project ReShare: projectreshare.org, Communication Team, Chair
info@projectreshare.org

News Release — Project ReShare Welcomes Minitex and Ann Arbor District Library

May 17, 2021

Project ReShare is pleased to welcome Minitex and the Ann Arbor District Library to the ReShare community. Current ReShare membership is available on the Project ReShare web site.

Minitex is a state-funded library organization based at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities that provides resource sharing and delivery to libraries of all types in Minnesota – school media centers, public and academic libraries, state agency and health science libraries.

Gerri Moeller, Associate Director for Resource Sharing and Delivery, explained the Minitex process for evaluating ReShare and deciding to apply for membership. “For the past few months, we have been meeting with representatives from Project ReShare, reviewing the documentation, discussing our needs for a future resource sharing system, and viewing demonstrations of the current state of the project,”  Moeller said. “We’re really intrigued with the possibilities, and excited to become a member of this project.” 

The Minitex MNLINK service allows any patron in the state to search a Minnesota instance of WorldCat, or extend that service out to the full WorldCat catalog, then directly place an unmediated request. Items from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities are filled, free of charge, by Minitex staff for any resident of the state. In 2020, Minitex delivered 732,000 items, referred almost 400,000 requests, and facilitated  over 250,000 direct patron requests.  Minitex provides many other services to libraries and cultural heritage institutions in Minnesota, including a robust statewide database, an online reference service, a statewide ebook collection, cooperative purchasing services, a statewide historical digitized collection, and a high-density storage facility. The organization is just wrapping up its four-year involvement in a project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to work with SimplyE. 

Among the Minitex contributions to Project ReShare are three years of financial support, participation on Project ReShare committees and teams, and staff expertise, especially in integration and deployment of SimplyE. 

The Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) serves approximately 160,000 residents in the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan and other parts of Washtenaw County. Its five locations are staffed by about 200 employees, including eight staff members in the information technology department. 

AADL has a long-standing commitment to information technology and open source software. It administers its own Evergreen instance and a “homegrown” catalog and integration built on Drupal and Elasticsearch. “AADL is deeply committed to open source and collaboratively developed software,” noted Eli Neiburger, Deputy Director of AADL. “We’re interested in open source alternatives to our current patron-initiated interload system. We want to support efforts to develop an open platform.”

AADL will be providing three years of financial support to the project.

Background

The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. The ReShare Community has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set a new standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.

For more information, contact info@projectreshare.org.

To receive email updates from Project ReShare, please sign up for the Project ReShare news list at https://projectreshare.org/contact.

News Release — Project ReShare Membership Expands with Addition of Auraria Library, Stanford University Libraries, and the Western North Carolina Library Network

April 5, 2021

Project ReShare is pleased to announce three new members that increase the diversity of the project, both in types of organizations and geography — Auraria Library, Stanford University Libraries, and the Western North Carolina Library Network. 

Auraria Library, located in downtown Denver, serves three institutions of higher education on one campus: University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), and Community College of Denver (CCD). Auraria Library serves a diverse population and supports various curricular and research programs. MSU Denver & CCD are Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and 48% of CU Denver’s students identify as students of color. The vision of the Auraria campus when created in the 1970’s was one of consolidation and collaboration; a place where a student could attend community college, transfer to a 4-year college, and go on to earn a graduate degree all on the same campus. While that vision has changed over the years as each institution has carved out its own identity, the library continues to be one of the few shared resources and services. 

Auraria is actively striving to change the future of resource sharing. The SILLVR pilot project, launched in January 2020, is the first library-to-library streaming video borrowing project in the country. Auraria Library in collaboration with the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries secured streaming video partners to continue the project into 2021. The consortium also was chosen to partner with ProQuest to launch a new EBook ILL pilot in 2021. 

“Auraria Library cares deeply about equity of access to content, collaboration, and reimagining the future of ILL,” explained, Katy DiVittorio, Collections Strategies, Department Head. “This is one of our primary reasons for wanting to join Project ReShare.” Auraria is contributing financial resources, working group participation, and workflow expertise gained from SILLVR implementation.

Stanford Libraries has a tradition of commitment to open source tools, their development, and their communities, including work with Blacklight, IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework), and most recently in the resource sharing sphere of the Ivy Plus Library Confederation. Stanford Libraries appreciates the flexibility and scalability of the ReShare platform, notably its interoperability with a variety of integrated library systems and the plans for non-returnables and controlled digital lending, which will enable Stanford Libraries to work more efficiently with lending partners and consortia. 

The governance of Project ReShare also aligns with the values and culture of Stanford Libraries. “The shared governance model that enables community input and the focus of the project on usability from the very beginning offers an environment well suited to responding to our patrons’ changing resource sharing needs,” explained Hilary Thorsen, Resource Sharing Librarian. Stanford has recently become actively engaged with the FOLIO community and is interested in monitoring and contributing to potential synergies among the two projects.  

Stanford Libraries has made a three-year financial commitment to Project ReShare and plans to actively participate in working groups to help define and apply best practices, including possible integrations with Blacklight. 

The Western North Carolina Library Network (WNCLN) is a three-member consortium consisting of the western North Carolina academic institutions of Western Carolina University; the University of North Carolina, Asheville; and Appalachian State University. WNCLN currently shares an ILS (III Sierra), runs a book delivery service between the three institutions, jointly licenses shared e-resources, and shares professional expertise among staff. The Network has a long history of resource sharing and commitment to sharing collections and expertise and wants to expand that commitment to library users across the state of North Carolina and beyond.

Consortial resource sharing is a strategic priority for WNCLN and integral to two current endeavors — a shared print initiative with other UNC libraries and migration to a new library services platform. Project ReShare could serve as the technical infrastructure to provide streamlined resource sharing services between WNCLN, the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), other NC universities, and other neighboring consortia. 

“The vision of Project ReShare aligns with the mission of WNCLN to foster active cooperation and collaboration among member libraries,” said Kristin Calvert, Head of Discovery and Technology Services, Western Carolina University. “We are eager to participate in this collaborative community and to contribute to its important work — work that is timely for us.”

Like Auraria Library and Stanford Libraries, WNCLN will contribute financially and also will provide staff for web development and VuFind development. Project ReShare enthusiastically welcomes these new members and their many contributions.

Background

The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. The ReShare Community has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set a new standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.

For more information, contact info@projectreshare.org.

To receive email updates from Project ReShare, please sign up for the Project ReShare news list at https://projectreshare.org/contact.

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Media Contact

Lisa Croucher
Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): trln.org, Executive Director
Project ReShare: projectreshare.org, Communication Team, Chair
info@projectreshare.org

News Release – Project ReShare Welcomes LOUIS and MOBIUS

Project ReShare is pleased to add LOUIS and MOBIUS to its growing number of members.

LOUIS is a consortium of public and private college and university libraries in the state of Louisiana, currently consisting of 47 members. LOUIS provides cost-effective collaboration for the procurement and support of library technology and resources. Twenty-two member institutions participate in LOUIS’ interlibrary loan platform. LOUIS supports technology that enables the reciprocal borrowing and lending between its member institutions and beyond, including multiple instances of SirsiDynix Symphony ILS and Atlas-supported ILLiad. 

ReShare’s attention to contemporary open source technology focused on user needs appealed to LOUIS. “We believe Project ReShare will achieve many of our goals for improvement of our systems,” explained Teri Oaks Gallaway, Executive Director and Associate Commissioner for LOUIS. “We also believe that open-source software can encourage collaboration, not only between the consortium and vendors, but between our member institutions, and between institutions, nationwide and globally, who are dedicated to the open-source development of the platform.”

LOUIS wishes to continue to promote the innovation that comes from a strong, robust, and diverse standards-based marketplace. LOUIS has offered to contribute to integration and customization with its existing library services platforms, SirsiDynix Symphony and SirsiDynix Enterprise; integration with the Symphony web services API; and testing and feedback on all ReShare development. LOUIS also is making financial contributions to the project.

MOBIUS is a multi-type, multi-state library consortium based in Columbia, Missouri, with 77 members and 223 branches in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The consortium includes large public and private universities, community colleges, small technical schools, special libraries, public libraries, and medical libraries. 

MOBIUS currently uses Innovative Interfaces for Sierra for 61 of its academic libraries, with those libraries distributed across seven Sierra servers that are geographically grouped. A shared ILS is one of the main goals of the consortium, which currently uses INN-Reach as its resource sharing system.  MOBIUS has been evaluating the future of its shared ILS model and resource sharing system. 

“Our libraries have asked us to consider allowing disparate systems within our membership,” said Donna Bacon, Executive Director of MOBIUS. “Our biggest hurdle has been the inability to connect other systems to INN-Reach. We think Project ReShare is our best way forward as it will allow us to expand our membership even more than we have done in the last several years and allow our membership to choose an ILS they feel best fits their library.  Resource sharing is still one of our primary goals, but how we meet that goal has changed and become more complicated.  We believe Project ReShare can help us meet our goal of connecting disparate systems.” 

In addition to financial contributions, MOBIUS will be contributing time and skills of developers, including a senior development engineer who has experience with open source projects, most significantly through contributions to Evergreen. As an indication of its commitment to open source projects, MOBIUS has an Associate Director Open Source Initiatives who manages open source services and projects.

As their consortium continues to move into the open source community, MOBIUS leaders are eager to contribute to Project ReShare. 

Background

The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. The ReShare Community has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set a new standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.

For more information, contact info@projectreshare.org.

To receive email updates from Project ReShare, please sign up for the Project ReShare news list at https://projectreshare.org/contact.

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Media Contact

Lisa Croucher
Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): trln.org, Executive Director
Project ReShare: projectreshare.org, Communication Team, Chair
info@projectreshare.org

PALCI and ConnectNY Partner with Index Data to Adopt ReShare

ReShare has been selected by two consortia, PALCI and ConnectNY, as their resource sharing program. Both organizations are partnering with Index Data for implementation, hosting, and support services, with plans to launch the service in summer 2021.

This adoption expands the prevalence of the ReShare Returnables product in the resource sharing marketplace and further demonstrates that ReShare is meeting a previously unmet need of libraries and consortia.

More details can be found in the Index Data news release.

Election Results for Steering Committee

New At-Large Members

Thanks to the participation of the Project ReShare community, we elected new at-large members to the Steering Committee.

Congratulations to Adam Murray — Executive Director of Marmot Library Network — and Boaz Nadav Manes — University Librarian, Lehigh University —  for their election to the Steering Committee. In addition, Scott Anderson — Information Systems Librarian, Millersville University — will be joining as an ex officio member.

Each new Steering Committee member brings years of experience and will provide valuable insight in the development of Project ReShare, both as a suite of products and a community. We thank all three for their willingness to serve on the Steering Committee.

“I believe that I can bring a valuable perspective to the Project ReShare Steering Committee, one that encompasses the academic and public library worlds, the economic disparities within those worlds, and the role consortia can play in innovation that helps lift all libraries together.”

Adam Murray, Marmot Library Network

“I strongly believe that especially at this time and in this climate, ambitious and collaborative infrastructure projects such as Project ReShare can assist our users to keep our society better informed, safe, and more equitable.”

Boaz Nadav-Manes, Lehigh University

“The library community is in need of a robust, low threshold, flexible and open solution to address effective, efficient and innovative resource sharing amongst participating organizations (not just libraries) in the future. Project ReShare represents that future.”

Scott Anderson, Millersville University

Elected Officers

In addition to electing new at-large members, the Steering Committee elected new officers in the positions of:

  • Chair, Tim McGeary, Duke University
  • Chair-Elect, Nora Dethloff, GWLA
  • Secretary, Adam Murray, Marmot Library Network

Jill Morris — Executive Director of PALCI — will serve as Past Chair. Jill’s commitment and contributions were instrumental in the creation of Project ReShare. Under her leadership, ReShare grew into a sustainable and dynamic community with a structure to continue bringing together more organizations that seek to transform the resource sharing landscape. Thanks to Jill for all of her hard work and steadfast leadership since the foundation of Project ReShare, and we look forward to benefiting from her expertise in your continued role on the Steering Committee.

Thanks also to the Nominating Committee for its stewardship of this election.

  • Emily Decker, University of Alabama
  • Nora Dethloff, GWLA
  • Kelly Farrell, TRLN
  • Hilary Fredette, West Virginia University (Nominating Committee convener)
  • Brian Lin, The Alberta Library
  • Jill Morris, PALCI

Contact info@projectreshare.org with any questions.

News Release – Project ReShare Welcomes Internet Archive and Marmot Library Network

October 26, 2020

Project ReShare is pleased to announce that Internet Archive, a non-profit library, and the Marmot Library Network, a Colorado-based consortium, have joined the project as members.

Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of books, Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. With a mission to “provide Universal Access to All Knowledge,” it provides free access to researchers, historians, scholars, patrons with print disabilities, and the general public. Internet Archive began in 1996 archiving the Internet itself, a medium that was just beginning to grow in use. 

Internet Archive will contribute to Project ReShare expertise and knowledge specifically related to strengthening the community of practice around controlled digital lending (CDL). “As a library that has been running a version of controlled digital lending for more than nine years, it is thrilling to see a group like Project ReShare come together to accelerate and promote this work,” remarked Chris Freeland, Director of Open Libraries, Internet Archive. “We also will continue to  support and promote the work of scholars who have codified CDL through independent publications and legal white papers.” 

Internet Archive released a statement about its commitment to Project ReShare.

A large component of Marmot’s new operational plan is growing the consortium’s involvement in Project ReShare and FOLIO. Marmot aims to be a consortium built on the choice and ownership that comes from involvement in open source solutions. 

“We believe that Marmot’s role as a multi-type library consortium, composed predominantly of public libraries, would provide the ReShare community with valuable insight in both consortial and public library needs,” stated Adam Murray, Executive Director of Marmot Library Network.

Organized by academic, public, and school librarians, Marmot’s original purpose was to create a network located on the Western Slope of Colorado with access to a shared cataloging system. Marmot was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1990.  As a multi-type library consortium with 30 Voting Members and 9 Associate Members, Marmot has evolved in its 35 years of operation, adding services such as workstation and network management, hosting solutions, a digital archive, and a catalog discovery layer. 

As a member of the ReShare community, Marmot has committed $10,000 in membership fees, plus dedicated time from the wide-ranging expertise of Marmot’s staff, including developers.

Project ReShare is pleased to be expanding its community with the inclusion of Internet Archive and Marmot Library Network, working together to transform approaches to resource sharing.

Background

The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. The ReShare Community has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set a new standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.

For more information, contact info@projectreshare.org.

To receive email updates from Project ReShare, please sign up for the Project ReShare news list at https://projectreshare.org/contact.

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Media Contact

Lisa Croucher
Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): trln.org, Executive Director
Project ReShare: projectreshare.org, Communication Team, Chair
info@projectreshare.org

News Release – Project ReShare announces 1.0 software release

August 26, 2020

Project ReShare announces the release of ReShare Returnables 1.0, the first production software to come out of the open source, collaborative community. The Returnables software represents the first step in ReShare’s goal of creating a consortial resource sharing system that will enable sharing of the collective collection in all formats, regardless of integrated library system, and empowering library-driven and user centered workflows. 

ReShare Returnables supports interlibrary loan of physical materials between members of a consortium. The software, built using the open source FOLIO platform, uses an app-based approach to resource sharing workflows. The apps that make up the 1.0 release include a member directory, queues to manage requesting and supplying workflows, and a bulk update tool. A shared inventory app allows ReShare libraries to pool their bibliographic metadata for discovery and fulfillment purposes. More information about the Returnables product and a video demonstration can be found at https://projectreshare.org/products/returnables. 

“As libraries face increasing pressure to share resources, the release of ReShare Returnables 1.0 represents a huge step forward in transforming the library resource sharing marketplace,” said ReShare Steering Committee Chair Jill Morris. “For many years, commercially available options have struggled to keep pace with libraries’ and users’ expectations. ReShare’s open source nature empowers groups of libraries to innovate and collaborate toward building truly collective collections, with the ability to share our disparate holdings and materials in a cost-controlled, system-agnostic, and user-centric way.”

Development of ReShare Returnables has been focused on standards compliance and interoperability. The software is the first consortial implementation of the ISO 18626 protocol for interlibrary loan transactions, and use of this standard positions the ReShare system for seamless communication with other protocol-compliant systems. ReShare Returnables also takes advantage of  the NCIP and Z39.50 standards supported by many local library management systems to create local integrations and reduce duplicate workflows. 

ReShare Returnables integrates with the VuFind discovery tool for an out-of-the-box consortial search experience for library users. ReShare users will also have the option to ingest metadata from the shared inventory into their existing commercial or local discovery environments, allowing them to offer users a single point of access for library and consortial requests.

“This is a tremendously exciting milestone,” said Sebastian Hammer, co-founder of Index Data, the lead software developers on the project. “Project ReShare breaks new ground in so many different areas: in its modular architecture; in its strong commitment to open standards and breaking down boundaries between consortia and platforms; and, most importantly, in its nature as a community-owned good. I believe that Project ReShare should inspire other groups of libraries and vendors to innovate together.  It has been a privilege to be a citizen in the community so far, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.”

With the 1.0 release completed, the ReShare development team will continue to work on Returnables functionality, with the goal of releasing versions 1.1 and 1.2 in October 2020 and January 2021, respectively. As a member of the Controlled Digital Lending Implementers (CDLI) group, ReShare has begun concurrent development of a minimal viable product to support controlled digital lending within the ReShare platform, expected in late fall 2020.

Background

The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. The ReShare Community has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set a new standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.

For more information, contact info@projectreshare.org.

To receive email updates from Project ReShare, please sign up for the Project ReShare news list at https://projectreshare.org/contact.

News Release – Project ReShare and Stanford Libraries Launch Controlled Digital Lending Implementers Group

July 2, 2020

Project ReShare and Stanford Libraries of Stanford University announce the launch of the Controlled Digital Lending Implementers (CDLI) group to explore and coordinate broad and thoughtful implementation of controlled digital lending (CDL). 

The digital equivalent of traditional library lending, CDL enables libraries to digitize a physical item from their collection and lend out a secured digital version to one user at a time, while the print copy is simultaneously marked as unavailable. When connected with the various workflows, decisions, policies, and mechanisms similar to those used in traditional inter-library loan, CDL offers an effective means of safely and securely circulating library materials to users—especially those for whom physical access presents a hardship—while also protecting the rights of the publishing community. 

“With the COVID-19 pandemic and loss of access to our physical collections, controlled digital lending has suddenly become a top priority, not just for our library, but for so many institutions,” notes Tom Cramer, Associate University Librarian and Director for Digital Library Systems & Services at Stanford University. “CDLI will enable those implementing CDL to exchange ideas, approaches, and know-how, creating a community of practice that will benefit libraries as a whole.”  

CDLI will provide a forum for implementers to coordinate efforts, develop best practices, and establish a CDL community, meeting the distinct needs of individual institutions while taking into account the larger technology and services ecosystem. Initial collaborators include libraries, consortia, software developers, and resource sharing leaders who envision the wide acceptance of CDL as an approach to library access services in support of institutional missions.

Currently, there is a lack of technical infrastructure to support the implementation of CDL. In response to this gap, Project ReShare has committed to include CDL in its development roadmap. Established in 2018 by libraries, consortia, software developers, and open source advocates, the ReShare community is designing an open source, highly-scalable platform that supports workflows for discovery, fulfillment, and delivery of library materials. CDL functionality will expand the impact of ReShare on the library community.  

“A widely adoptable and sustainable technical infrastructure for CDL does not exist in today’s marketplace, and there is a great demand due to the impact of COVID-19,” says Jill Morris, Project ReShare’s Steering Committee Chair and Executive Director of the PALCI academic library consortium. “ReShare’s CDL development initiative represents the type of innovative model Project ReShare is designed to support, with tools and infrastructure that are freely available and driven by the needs of our community. Through ReShare’s participation in CDLI, we aim to coordinate our efforts in the broader library community to ensure that our libraries’ physical collections are accessible and usable by scholars and the general public.”  

The 1.0 release of ReShare is scheduled for July 2020. Soon after, ReShare development partners Index Data and Knowledge Integration will begin integrating CDL into ReShare. 

CDLI welcomes institutional and individual participants from any library, consortium, technology or industry partner. Reach out to cdl-implementers@googlegroups.com for more information or if your institution is interested in joining CDLI.