A new and open approach to resource sharing

ReShare is the newest resource sharing platform on the market, tied to a fundamentally different business model. ReShare is the result of a deep, open collaboration between a group of libraries, consortia, and companies, based on the notion that community infrastructure should be owned by communities, not by individual organizations. Its open-source code base is available for anyone to use, enhance, or support. Project ReShare can be explored at https://projectreshare.org

ReShare was a direct response to a growing number of acquisitions in the library marketplace, leading to less choice, innovation, and influence. ReShare seeks to drive innovation and agency through co-ownership of technology and through collaborative development.

The initial functionality of ReShare centers on consortial borrowing, but the community has a broad vision of supporting library collaboration and sharing through document delivery, digital lending, and more. ReShare is based on an app-based software architecture to facilitate experimentation and innovation and to make it possible to adapt the software to individual library and consortial needs by selecting just the right set of functions. ReShare has been designed by librarians for librarians in a user experience-centered approach, and the project is led by a steering committee with representatives from libraries, consortia, and developers.

Unlike most other consortial resource sharing platforms, ReShare is entirely based on an open, peer-to-peer approach and open standards, including ISO18626. ReShare is designed to work in heterogeneous environments where members run different library automation platforms and where member libraries may be members of multiple consortia. ReShare is actively pursuing interoperability and integration with other systems, and advocating for standards-based interfaces to allow flexibility and to empower libraries to collaborate while still providing a great patron experience. And ReShare hosting from Index Data include VuFind as the public interface to the shared inventory with patron requesting enabled.

As Project ReShare’s first certified service provider, Index Data offers a complete set of services that will enable consortia and other resource sharing groups to offer Reshare to their membership in a reliable, cost-effective way.