Clara Fehrenbach spoke with Sebastian Hammer, Co-founder and President of Index Data, to learn more about Reservoir.
ReShare Shared Inventory
A shared inventory and consortial discovery has been a foundational piece of the Project ReShare vision since the beginning. The 2021 ReShare Returnables launches at PALCI and ConnectNY went live with FOLIO’s Inventory module (dubbed “mod-inventory” in FOLIO-speak) as the basis for ReShare’s Shared Inventory storage, which in turn feeds into discovery layers, such as VuFind. Mod-inventory worked for its purpose, but it became clear that the way ReShare needs to ingest and use bibliographic data calls for a more flexible shared inventory infrastructure that is designed to ingest data from many different sources (i.e. individual member libraries in a consortium.)
Because ReShare was intended to be modular from the start, it was possible for Project ReShare and Index Data to be responsive to the needs of the community and update the infrastructure behind the Shared Inventory.
What is Reservoir?
Originally coined mod-meta-storage, Reservoir is the new underlying infrastructure of ReShare Shared Inventory. Based primarily on PostgreSQL, Reservoir was envisioned and realized due to community need, both to address inefficiencies discovered in the live environments at PALCI and ConnectNY and to support the onboarding of IPLC onto ReShare Returnables using their Platform for Open Data (POD) infrastructure. Reservoir is designed to be both fast (quickly handling a very large number of records) and flexible (poised to reuse its contents for future purposes.)
In order to accomplish speed and flexibility, Reservoir does not merge records as they’re imported in the same way that mod-inventory was designed to do. According to Sebastian, Reservoir works instead by “storing incoming bibliographic records separately and ‘clustering’ them using a match algorithm.” Then the records can be “merged” later for use in a consortial discovery layer or for other purposes. This method of clustering now, merging later was designed to allow much easier experimentation with different matching algorithms, since clusters can be reconfigured or rebuilt without needing a full data reload. It’s even possible to use more than one different matching algorithm at the same time with Reservoir.
Want to know how much faster Reservoir is? Consider this: Using Reservoir, it takes less than a week to ingest, merge, and process a collection of about 80 million bibliographic records. Before Reservoir, it would have taken approximately five months to complete the same process.
Why “reservoir”?
A reservoir is “a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.”
Taking inspiration from “data lake” terminology and imagery, Reservoir was named because it is envisioned as a data lake that ingests data from sources “upstream” and provides a supply of “clean” data to any service positioned “downstream.” Currently, the primary use of this data is in consortial discovery using VuFind, but it could be adapted for many different purposes, including consortial collection analysis.
MOBIUS has announced that it will be implementing ReShare Returnables as its new resource sharing system, joining PALCI, ConnectNY, and the Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation who all have launched ReShare Returnables in recent months. The MOBIUS implementation will coincide with its launch of EBSCO FOLIO from EBSCO Information Services as its new library services platform. The MOBIUS migration, from Innovative’s INN-Reach and Sierra to ReShare Returnables and FOLIO, will begin in late 2022 with plans to be fully operational by the spring of 2024. Knowledge Integration will be leading the development of ReShare Returnables with MOBIUS.
Donna Bacon, Executive Director of MOBIUS, says that ReShare and FOLIO present an opportunity for MOBIUS members to move to open source resources with expert support. “Being part of an open-source community for our first library services platform is a significant move forward that will streamline processes, manage resources and leverage modern technologies,” Bacon noted. “We are eager to collaborate with the FOLIO and Project ReShare communities and hope to contribute to both projects’ future developments.”
Knowledge Integration will partner with MOBIUS to develop features in ReShare Returnables that support direct consortial borrowing. Ian Ibbotson of Knowledge Integration, technical architect for Project ReShare, is keen to build on the relationship to expand the functionality with ReShare and promote interoperability with FOLIO. “Being a small UK-based company with a solid commitment to developing open source solutions for libraries, we are excited by this partnership between Project ReShare, EBSCO, and MOBIUS,” Ibbotson said. “The leadership shown by MOBIUS in supporting the development of direct consortial borrowing functionality will benefit libraries worldwide and grow the wider resource-sharing capabilities of the project well beyond its traditional ILL roots.”
Project ReShare is a user-centered, community-owned resource sharing platform that will allow for the connection of disparate ILS platforms. MOBIUS has been an active, contributing member of the ReShare community since December of 2020. Adopting ReShare allows other libraries on disparate ILS systems to join MOBIUS. MOBIUS believes that ReShare offers more flexible opportunities to include a wider variety of platforms as the consortium continues to grow and evolve.
About MOBIUS
Since its founding in July 1998, MOBIUS has transformed library services for the citizens of Missouri. Formerly a part of the University of Missouri System, on July 1, 2010 MOBIUS became a Missouri not-for-profit corporation with 501 (C)(3) tax-exempt status. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of its members, the organization has grown from 50 founding charter members to 80 members which include 64 academic libraries,11 public libraries, 4 special libraries, and the Missouri State Library, serving more than 230 physical branches.
The consortium’s purpose is to share library materials, information, and services using accessible, cost effective methods. It is our goal to create equal access to materials and information for all of our users. Today, the MOBIUS Union Catalog has expanded to include more than 29 million items, serving users in Missouri and into Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. A courier service delivers library materials to member libraries across Missouri and Iowa and connects us to libraries via the CLiC (Colorado) and TransAmigos courier networks.
About Project ReShare
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.
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.
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.
Lisa Croucher Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): trln.org, Executive Director Project ReShare: projectreshare.org, Communication Team, Chair info@projectreshare.org
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.
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.
Lisa Croucher Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): trln.org, Executive Director Project ReShare: projectreshare.org, Communication Team, Chair info@projectreshare.org
Project ReShare Welcomes
Seven New Founding Members
For Immediate Release
November 15, 2019
Project ReShare
is pleased to announce seven new members, including the ConnectNY library
consortium, and libraries including Louisiana State University Libraries,
Michigan State University Libraries, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
McNairy Library and Learning Forum, Texas A&M University Libraries, The
University of Alabama Libraries, and the University of Chicago Library as the
newest participants in the community’s Founding Members Program.
ReShare’s
Founding Members Program allows libraries and consortia to contribute to
Project ReShare and have a clear voice in the project’s direction. By becoming
Founding Members, these organizations have expressed enthusiasm for the
development of this community-owned interlibrary loan infrastructure, as well
as a demonstrated commitment to ensuring Project ReShare remains a user-centered,
innovative force for resource sharing in libraries. Project ReShare, together
with these new members, will continue in its mission to work directly with
libraries to improve the value and impact of resource sharing networks and the
tools used to support them.
Donald L.
Gilstrap, Dean of University Libraries at The University of Alabama, expressed
his excitement about Project ReShare and its potential to positively impact
library services. “Ever since our discussions on ReShare took place at WOLFCon,
the energy for this project has continued to increase in very positive ways.
Having an ecosystem for distributed resource sharing that draws on the
strengths of the library community both in its development and use can help us
greatly improve the effectiveness of how we provide services for our users in
years to come.”
Pam Jones,
Executive Director at ConnectNY (CNY), added “The flexibility to adapt
components of ReShare to create specific workflows makes ReShare very different
from current platforms. CNY is looking for a new approach to resource sharing
and ReShare provides the opportunity to be part of a library-developed, owned,
and managed product, which is something new in the resource sharing
environment. I am very pleased that CNY will be part of the ReShare community
and look forward to seeing the strategic collaborations that come out of its
development.”
“Interest from
the library community is indicative of the need for change in this space, and
we’re thrilled to welcome these libraries to the project as Founding Members,”
said Jill Morris, ReShare Steering Committee Chair. “ReShare represents a
unique opportunity to shift the paradigm in how libraries and consortia work
with commercial organizations as partners, and how we gain agency in improving
services to our users. These new members are lending their expertise and
financial contributions to the project, and by doing so, they are giving a
voice to their library staff and patrons that is simply not possible in typical
pay-for-service models.”
ReShare plans an
alpha release of the software later this Fall, with additional releases planned
in Spring and Summer of 2020. ReShare announced its Founding Member Program in
June 2019 and is currently accepting applications. For more information on how
to get involved and support the project, please visit: https://projectreshare.org.
About ReShare
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 that will set the standard for how we connect library patrons to the
resources and information they require. Contact info@projectreshare.org for more information.
About The University of Alabama Libraries
The University of Alabama, the state’s
oldest and largest public institution of higher education, is a student-centered
research university that draws the best and brightest to an academic community
committed to providing a premier undergraduate and graduate education. UA is
dedicated to achieving excellence in scholarship, collaboration and
intellectual engagement; providing public outreach and service to the state of
Alabama and the nation; and nurturing a campus environment that fosters
collegiality, respect and inclusivity.
The
University of Alabama Libraries is essential in advancing the educational
mission of the University. The libraries provide innovative instruction,
services, and resources to facilitate teaching, research, and learning. The
system is comprised of five branch libraries and is committed to be
student-centered and research-focused in order to support discovery, learning,
and creativity at The Capstone. The University Libraries is an EBSCO FOLIO beta
partner. As the oldest academic library
serving as a U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository, the University
Libraries serve the academic community and the public. The University Libraries
maintain memberships in the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for
Research Libraries, the Coalition for Networked Information, centerNet,
LYRASIS, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, the HathiTrust,
Scholars Trust, the Rosemont Alliance, the Network of Alabama Academic
Libraries, and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network. The University
Libraries homepage may be accessed athttp://www.libraries.ua.edu .
About ConnectNY
CNY (ConnectNY), Inc. is a
consortium of independent academic institutions in New York State. The mission
of CNY is to share collections, leverage resources, and enhance services
through cooperative initiatives and coordinated activities. CNY focuses on the
community, empowering members to provide vital resources to their patrons when
and where they are most needed. Since its inception in 2001, CNY has expanded
its services and programs to include a robust e-book program, a shared print
trust, and most recently, an OER program. Proudly membership-driven, the
organization strives to be adaptable, future-facing, and dedicated to the user
experience.
About the University of Chicago Library
The University of Chicago Library is the ninth largest academic library
in North America, with 12.3 million volumes in print and electronic form. The
Library empowers intellectual discovery, rigorous learning, and global
engagement through its deep and rich collections, extensive expertise,
innovative programs, and diverse spaces.
The Library’s strategic directions include cultivating an inclusive
community; empowering faculty and staff with Library services, collections, and
spaces; advancing digital scholarship; enhancing access to scholarly resources;
extending the University of Chicago’s impact through local and global
engagement; and excelling in a changing environment.
About McNairy Library & Learning Forum, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
The McNairy
Library & Learning Forum is a learner-centered hub for the Millersville
University community, dedicated to educating, inspiring, and connecting people
with ideas, information, and each other. Millersville University of
Pennsylvania is a top-ranked, public university located in the northeast region
of the United States. It is committed to offering students a high quality,
comprehensive university experience of exceptional value. Dedicated to
providing nationally recognized programs that embrace the liberal arts,
Millersville offers academic opportunities that are supported by outstanding
faculty who are accomplished scholars and practitioners. Founded in 1855 as the
first Normal School in Pennsylvania, Millersville University is one of 14
universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
About Louisiana State University Libraries
LSU is the
flagship institution of Louisiana and is one of only 22 prestigious
universities nationwide holding land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant status.
LSU’s roots run deep, shaping contributions to the state, the nation and the
world for nearly 160 years.
The LSU Libraries supports the academic
mission of the university by fostering teaching, learning, and research.
Through its commitment to excellence in collections, services, and spaces, the
Libraries serves as an indispensable intellectual resource for the state of
Louisiana, and to communities worldwide. The LSU Libraries is a member of the
Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the top research libraries in the U.S.
and Canada, with holdings of 4.3 million volumes. The main library is an active and energetic
part of academic life at LSU. Students and faculty find a great variety of
academic support and resources for research available through the library.
Subject specialists are available to students and faculty in person and online
for personalized research consultations, copyright support, and help navigating
our world-class collections and resources.
About Michigan State University Libraries
The Michigan
State University Libraries are at the center of academic life at MSU and
provide expertise, collections, and infrastructure for discovery and creation.
The Libraries facilitate connections that support research, teaching, and
learning in local and global communities. This investment in making connections
includes a commitment to providing equal access to Library collections,
services, and facilities for all library users. The Libraries employ an Open
Educational Resources (OER) and Student Success Librarian and recently launched
a faculty incentive program for course affordability. Earlier this year, the
Libraries joined the Open Textbook Network, a diverse community of higher
education institutions that promote access, affordability, and student success
through the use of open textbooks. The MSU Libraries have nearly eight million
unique titles. Last year, MSU Librarians conducted 646 instruction sessions and
workshops, reaching a total of 27,167 people. The reference staff handled
14,331 questions in person, by phone, and online. The Library borrowed 16,163
items from other libraries for MSU users and loaned 63,939 items from our
collections to other libraries.
About Texas A&M University
About Texas A&M University Libraries
Texas A&M,
established in 1876 as the first public university in Texas, is one of the
nation’s largest universities with more than 66,000 students and more than
440,000 living alumni residing in over 150 countries around the world. A
tier-one university, Texas A&M holds the rare triple land-, sea- and
space-grant designation. Research conducted at Texas A&M represented annual
expenditures of more than $905.4 million in fiscal year 2017. Texas A&M’s
research creates new knowledge that provides basic, fundamental and applied
contributions resulting, in many cases, in economic benefits to the state,
nation and world. The school’s Lead by Example campaign is a comprehensive
effort to raise $4 billion by the year 2020, making it the largest higher
education campaign in Texas history and the second largest conducted nationally
by a public university. Aggies are known for their deep commitment to the
success of each other and their strong desire to serve.
Project ReShare is pleased to announce The Alberta Library (TAL), a multi-type library consortium based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS), a multi-type consortium serving over 650 member libraries in Indiana and Michigan, as the first two consortial participants in its new Founding Consortial Partner Program. Both consortia have made substantial contributions and have joined the project’s Steering Committee.
The Midwest Collaborative for Library Services has pledged up to $150,000 in funding to Project ReShare over the next three years. The Alberta Library has also pledged $10,000 in funding to the project. In addition to substantial monetary contributions which will speed along development of the open source code being developed, each consortium also commits time and expertise from its staff and member institutions that promises to uniquely benefit Project ReShare. Both MCLS and TAL are the first members to bring public library perspectives to the project’s leadership groups. With these new partnerships in place, Project ReShare will continue its mission to build a user-centered resource sharing platform for libraries of all types, in all places.
“MCLS and TAL are part of a growing number of libraries and consortia who are joining ReShare. The Steering Committee recognized both of these consortia as strategic partners and I’m thrilled to welcome them to the community. Each consortium represents the diverse needs of public and academic libraries, which is perhaps one of the most exciting elements of these partnerships. The addition of TAL and MCLS rounds out our ability to represent library resource sharing needs more broadly,” said Jill Morris, ReShare Steering Committee Chair. Previously ReShare Steering Committee members represented only college and university library interests.
MCLS Executive Director Scott Garrison and his staff are excited about the potential opportunities Project ReShare offers. “We hope that Project ReShare becomes a viable solution for hundreds of libraries in the two states we serve, as well as for the broader library community. MCLS believes in innovating for libraries and their users, and our Board of Directors, staff and I feel that Project ReShare is a fresh, innovative approach to resource sharing for users everywhere,” Garrison said.
Tim Janewski, CEO of TAL is eager to participate with ReShare: “We are excited to join Project ReShare as we see great potential for a community-developed resource sharing platform owned and managed by libraries. We look forward to working with ReShare partners on this scalable and cost-effective project. ReShare will be a great fit for The Alberta Library.”
ReShare announced its Founding Partner Program in June 2019 and is currently accepting applications. For more information on how to get involved and support the project, please visit: https://projectreshare.org.
About ReShare
The ReShare Community is a group of libraries, consortia, information organizations and developers, with both commercial and non-commercial interests, who came together in August 2018 to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing. ReShare has a bold vision for building a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform for libraries to set the standard in how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require. Contact info@projectreshare.org for more information.
About MCLS
MCLS is a non-profit, member-owned multitype library consortium serving libraries in Indiana and Michigan. MCLS dedicated to providing our member libraries with the tools and training they need to better serve their communities. To this end, MCLS provides a range of services including group purchasing, strategic planning consulting, meeting facilitation, library-specific and community engagement-related training, and, in Michigan, statewide materials delivery. Since 2004, MCLS has also provided implementation, training, and support services for MeLCat, Michigan’s statewide resource sharing system.
About The Alberta Library
The Alberta Library (TAL) is a multi-type resource-sharing library consortium serving more than 300 locations in Alberta, Canada. Created in 1997, TAL was a response to challenges that included the information explosion, the development of new technologies, the emergence of the Internet and a changing government philosophy. Today, TAL is internationally recognized for cooperation and collaboration and working with its members to take advantage of changing technologies, share resources, find creative solutions and seize new opportunities.
Project ReShare is pleased to announce its new ReShare Founding Members Program and Certified Service Provider Program, with opportunities for libraries, consortia, and service provider organizations to engage with the project and support its efforts to create a sustainable, open source, user-centered resource sharing platform for libraries.
For the past year, a cohort of academic, consortial, and commercial partners have engaged with Project ReShare, a groundbreaking effort to construct a new resource sharing platform for and by the library community. The platform is Open Source, and it is the outcome of a strategic collaboration between a host of industry partners. Initially focused on patron-initiated consortial borrowing, the ReShare partnership intends to develop the platform into all aspects of library resource sharing. ReShare software development is well underway after an extensive user experience design process, with a Minimum Viable Product due out later this year.
The ReShare Founding Members Program provides a direct path to project participation, offering a variety of benefits to those interested in advancing the Community’s goals. ReShare Membership includes a voice in project governance, recognition on the ReShare website, and discounts with ReShare service providers. Member fees start at $1,500 per year, with options for library consortium discounts and incentives for those joining the program before August 31.
In addition, the ReShare Steering Committee announces its Certified Service Provider Program, aimed at supporting and elevating those service providers who offer ReShare services while adhering to community standards, and giving back to the Community. ReShare takes a radically open and transparent approach to collaboration between non-profit and commercial interests. With that approach in mind, Certified Service Providers commit to open and transparent pricing, caps on annual increases, use of open standards and protocols, participation in leadership roles, contributions of ReShare code, and excellent service to ReShare customers.
Kurt Munson, Head of Access Services, Northwestern University, and, ReShare Steering Committee Member and Product Management Team Chair says, “ReShare Members play a critical role in defining and developing a patron-based vision for resource sharing. This project represents a practical application of the next generation resource sharing vision statements made by the Big Ten Academic Alliance by moving our software away from siloed proprietary solutions toward standards-based, user-centered approaches. ReShare provides us an opportunity to improve service to our users. I hope these new membership options will inspire libraries to join us, get involved, and be a part of the solution.”
The ReShare development team expects the platform to be ready for production-ready use by Summer 2020.
About ReShare
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 the standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.
Boston, MA and Copenhagen, Denmark – June 20, 2019
Project ReShare and Index Data are pleased to announce that Index Data will become the first Certified Service Provider for the ReShare consortial resource sharing platform. A software company specializing in creating innovative products and tools for the library ecosystem, Index Data will offer hosting, implementation, and support services for consortia that adopt the ReShare platform
For the past year, Index Data along with academic, consortial, and commercial partners has engaged with Project ReShare, a groundbreaking effort to build a new, Open Source resource sharing platform for and by the library community. Initially focused on patron-initiated consortial borrowing, the ReShare partnership intends to develop the platform into all aspects of library resource sharing.
Sebastian Hammer, President of Index Data says, “Project ReShare is a strategic collaboration between important organizations in the library space, but more importantly, it is an unparalleled gathering of passionate and talented individuals. ReShare is a powerful example of what can be accomplished through open collaboration. At Index Data, we believe that open technology infrastructure is the essential substrate of a vibrant service ecosystem; one that fosters innovation and puts the patron in the center by eliminating roadblocks to interoperability. We participate in Project ReShare because collaboration is in our DNA as a team and because we firmly believe that we are at our best when we work together.”
As a ReShare Service Provider, Index Data will contribute technical and community resources to the project, as well as contributing financially to community activities. In the coming months, Index Data will work closely with the ReShare Steering Committee to develop open and transparent pricing models, negotiate caps on annual increases, and offer discounts to ReShare community members.
This partnership exemplifies the benefits of ReShare’s community-ownership approach, which brings together libraries, consortia, software developers, and open source advocates to collaborate on a shared vision for library resource sharing. As a leading development partner for ReShare, Index Data has already made significant contributions of staff time and resources to the project and cultivated a deep expertise in its software, workflows, and user needs.
Index Data expects to go live with initial ReShare consortial customers in 2020.
Background
Index Data has built solutions based on open source software since it was founded in 1994 and has created and released dozens of open source tools over the years. Its recent experience as lead development partner for the FOLIO project has led the company to develop a very strong perspective on the use of open source software as a means of building communities of intent, and for genuinely sharing ownership of technology across different kinds of organizations. Contact info@indexdata.com for more information, or visit us at booth #2941 at the American Library Association Conference in Washington, DC.
About ReShare
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 the standard for how we connect library patrons to the resources and information they require.
A group of leading library and information organizations has come together to create Project ReShare – a new and open approach to library resource sharing systems. ReShare aims to inject new life into this space by developing a community-owned resource sharing platform.
ReShare’s open source software will be built with a modular architecture focused on user-centric design. Organizations can adapt the system to their specific needs and experiment with new service models. Users will have the option to install the platform locally or select a preferred vendor for hosting and support. ReShare’s Apache 2.0 software license will allow libraries, developers, and vendors to innovate freely. Project ReShare is currently seeking membership in the Open Library Foundation, which will own the project’s intellectual property.
The greatest asset of Project ReShare is its robust community. Libraries, consortia, developers, vendors, and open information advocates are collaborating with a shared vision of strengthening the health of libraries’ resource sharing ecosystem. The community’s structure and governance minimizes barriers hindering innovation in current resource sharing solutions, and gives equal voice to all stakeholder groups.
Project ReShare’s Steering Committee includes representatives from Duke University Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), Index Data, Ivy Plus Libraries, Knowledge Integration, the Mozilla Foundation, the National Széchényi Library (Hungary), North Carolina State University Libraries, Northwestern University Libraries, the Open Library Environment, the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc. (PALCI), the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), the University of Chicago Library, the University of Houston, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Members of the community are contributing leadership, expertise, and resources to the ReShare project. PALCI is providing $100,000 to kickstart UX design and development. Index Data adds several staff to lead project planning and software development. Other partnering organizations are dedicating developer time, infrastructure support, and in-kind contributions. The Steering Committee will soon announce ways for other organizations to contribute toward ReShare’s vision.
To all involved, ReShare represents a unique opportunity to solve today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges. “The only way libraries can address all our patrons’ information needs is through partnerships with each other,” says Jill Morris, Associate Director of PALCI and Project ReShare’s Steering Committee Chair. “This partnership is about re-imagining how we work together. ReShare opens up channels for strategic collaboration among libraries, across consortia, and with vendors and other organizations, which simply didn’t exist before.”
“A community-based, open platform for library resource sharing – and for deep collaboration around collections and discovery – has been the Holy Grail of interlibrary lending for well over a decade,” shares Joe Lucia, Dean of Libraries at Temple University and member of PALCI’s Board of Directors. “ReShare carries the promise of becoming that system, and of engaging the library community broadly, both in technical innovation and in opening up the wealth of our holdings to students and scholars in powerful ways.”
That enthusiasm is shared by Index Data co-founder Sebastian Hammer. “Resource sharing is central to the future of libraries, both in terms of managing access to print, and in new models for digital services. Project ReShare is bringing together a dream team of partners in a mutual commitment to open innovation and collaboration. We are thrilled to be a part of it.”
Work on Project ReShare is underway. The Steering Committee has outlined the functional requirements for ReShare’s software, and defined the community’s expectations and structure. Software development will continue through the next year with plans for implementation and the first round of testing in the fall of 2019.
For more information about Project Reshare, please contact Jill Morris, Project ReShare Steering Committee Chair at info@projectreshare.org.
