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, and we need your help.
ReShare will achieve its vision by:
- Improving the Patron Experience – with user-first design principles
- Enabling Innovation – through the use of open standards and technology, and a focus on interoperability
- Promoting Collaboration – among libraries, across consortia, between commercial and non-commercial entities
- Creating Opportunities for Choice – through customization and ability to select systems and service providers best-suited to local needs
- Empowering Community – by building a sense of agency with community ownership
- Developing Partnerships – with diverse organizations contributing to solutions for shared needs
Why Contribute?
Those engaged in library resource sharing will be the first to tell you, it takes a village. ReShare is a fully transparent and open project, and the work product will be available to anyone, but your investment is what will drive the project forward in this open environment. An Open Source community depends on engaged citizens who actively make a choice to pool resources because there is value in working jointly to tackle goals larger than any one group can accomplish alone. With your contributions, ReShare will meet the need for a new approach to technology and services in this space. Your contributions provide opportunities to engage in the project’s vision, influence governance and decision-making, and contribute to the ReShare community’s shared success. Investment in ReShare’s success ultimately means greater choice, reduced reliance on outdated solutions and those companies failing to meet the community’s needs, a chance for major innovation in library technologies and collaborations, and most importantly, opportunities to better serve our patrons.
How to Contribute
The ReShare governance model recognizes four different categories of participation: 1) Development, 2) Functional expertise, 3) Product management (functional roadmap), and 4) Strategic direction. Specific ways your organization can get involved are listed below:
Application and Web Developers – We’re seeking part- or full-time commitments of staff from libraries, consortia, or other organizations with developer expertise. Funding for contracted developers is also needed. Contributing to this community of developers will enable ReShare to meet its ambitious timeline with a minimally viable product available for Fall 2019. Library and consortia are especially encouraged to consider contributing with developer staffing for this project to create an opportunity to grow our technical expertise in this space, and ensure sustainability of the platform for years to come.
Status: 2 Full-time developers and 1 Product Owner have been committed; 3-4 Full-time Web and Application Developers Still Needed
Subject Matter Experts (SME) – We’re seeking forward-thinking individuals who interact with library resource sharing on a day-to-day basis, and who share our vision for a greatly improved service to library patrons.
Status: 3-5 SMEs needed, who will be selected by the Product Management Team
Funding to Support Community Building – We sometimes need to travel, covered at the expense of our partner institutions or out-of-pocket expenses, to enable face-to-face planning meetings and deliver presentations to key community partners and conferences. Contributions in this area may include hosting a meeting, providing travel funds for key project staff, or offering other services.
Status: Initial funding provided by current partners, contributions for future meetings are needed.
Funding to Support Membership in the Open Library Foundation – The OLF supports the efforts of the ReShare Community by providing important infrastructure and technology solutions, including web conferencing software, Slack channels, a website and other means of enabling communication, in addition to ownership of the Intellectual Property produced.
Status: Membership costs are estimated at $10,000 and contributions are needed to fund this important work.
Testing & Pilot Libraries/Consortia – We’ll need a set of early adopters and pilot organizations willing to implement and test at various stages of development.
Status – Initial testers have been identified by the Steering Committee. More testing opportunities will be made available in the coming months.
Project Governance – The high-level strategic direction of the project, its relationship with other efforts and organizations and its continued engagement with the industry at large, is managed by the Steering Committee. The definition and prioritization of high-level functional requirements and the sign-off on architectural decisions resides with the Product Management Team.
Status: Participation in these groups is by invitation only and generally contingent upon what the group itself deems a substantial contribution, such as those named above.
Want to get involved? Please contact the Steering Committee to have a conversation about the best way to ensure Project ReShare’s success for the entire resource sharing community!