The History of ReShare

In the summer of 2018, representatives from multiple library consortia, academic institutions, developers, and non-profit foundations come together in Swarthmore, PA to discuss the technical requirements for a new unmediated open-source consortial resource sharing management tool and the community infrastructure needed to empower libraries to own the software. The outcome of those discussions is the creation of Project ReShare.

The first versions of ReShare are released, starting with the Alpha build in January and ending with version 1.1 at the end of November.

Development Highlights

• First versions of ReShare created and released, able to perform resource sharing transactions from end to end, including:
  • Item discovery and request submission via VuFind
  • SSO integration for library patrons
  • Creating and equitably distributing requests
  • Assigning request states
  • Generating pull slips and patron email notifications
• NCIP & Z39.50 integration with:
  • Aleph
  • Alma
• OAI-PMH endpoint for libraries providing MARC records

ConnectNY and PALCI become the first two consortia to begin using ReShare to power their resource sharing programs. Over 50 libraries between the two consortia begin using the software daily to submit, manage and fill patron requests.

New Implementations

• ConnectNY
• PALCI

Development Highlights

• NCIP and Z39.50 integration with:
  • FOLIO
  • Koha
  • Millennium
  • Sierra
  • Symphony
  • Voyager
• Workflows added for requests for locally-available items
• Introduced settings allowing libraries to add/delete, activate/deactivate, and rank supplying locations in real time
• Improved UI and request searching and filter tools for library staff

Reservoir – ReShare’s redesigned shared inventory architecture – is rolled out, and another group implements ReShare.

New Implementations

• IPLC

Development Highlights

• NCIP and Z39.50 integration with:
  • Horizon
  • TLC
• Launch of Reservoir, a faster and more flexible shared inventory architecture that allows ReShare to ingest, merge, and process bibliographic records in a fraction of the previous architecture’s time
• Storage of external request IDs to support integration with 3rd-party request management software (e.g. ILLiad)
• Storage of patron profiles/patron types to help libraries manage patron requesting eligibility
• Storage of item types to help libraries manage supplying rules
• Request aging settings to prevent requests from sitting at potential suppliers indefinitely
• Ability to Undo a filled request

Thanks to support from the Boston Library Consortium, controlled digital lending (CDL) workflows are added to ReShare, allowing libraries to provide multiple delivery options to their patrons.

New Implementations

• TRLN

Development Highlights

• Support for controlled digital lending (CDL) workflows, including:
  • New states to handle delivery of digital objects
  • Integration with Hyku for the review and delivery of digital objects
• Overhauled pull slip generation, customization, and delivery mechanisms
• Ability to edit and resubmit closed requests
• Improved NCIP & Z39.50 integrations with multiple ILSs