OpenRS and ReShare are both open source resource sharing platforms that share a common code base as an ancestor. ReShare’s focus is primarily on ISO18626 interlibrary loan transactions and providing a stand alone interface for use by patrons and library staff to manage transactions. OpenRS is focused on the spectrum of resource sharing methodologies, incorporating workflows that accommodate various levels of mediation by library staff. This includes direct consortial borrowing for handling resource sharing at scale within and between consortia. OpenRS integrates directly with multiple ILS/LMSs and Discovery products, eliminating the need for a stand alone interface.
FAQs
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No, OpenRS is fully open source. It is an official project of the Open Library Foundation and its code is freely available to all from Github. OpenRS integrates with any standards-based ILS or resource sharing systems including open source and proprietary systems. Any consortia or library can host OpenRS themselves, or work with open source vendors for OpenRS hosting, implementation, or development support.
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No, OpenRS is discovery agnostic. Libraries may use either commercial or open source interfaces and central indexes in conjunction with OpenRS.
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DCB or “Direct Consortial Borrowing” is an acronym intended to convey the seamless integration of libraries in a tightly integrated resource sharing network. In a DCB network workflows are primarily unmediated and presented through standard ILS operations such as holds, paging and circulation. DCB systems are characterized by having no special ILL interface and consortial borrowing intermixed with local circulation. DCB systems can be contrasted with traditional ILL systems which often have specialist workflows capable of dealing with the unique or special interlending requirements. DCB systems require some detailed configuration to set up initially, but outperform older models in terms of delivery time and first-to-fill metrics.
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This is a list of ILS systems that can integrate with OpenRS for direct consortial borrowing. If you have a need to integrate with an ILS that is not on this list, please reach out to info@openrs.org.
- FOLIO (done)
- Sierra (done)
- Polaris (done)
- Alma (pending)
- Evergreen (requested)
- Follett (requested)
- Apollo (requested)
- SirsiDynix Symphony (requested)
- SirsiDynix Horizon (requested)
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Any standards-based, ISO 18626 compliant system should be easy for OpenRS to integrate.
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Send an email to info@openrs.org
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Yes. Any consortia or library can host OpenRS themselves, or work with open source vendors for OpenRS hosting, implementation, or development support.
There is a growing collection of resources for hosting providers on the project Wiki at: https://openlibraryfoundation.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DCB/overview?homepageId=2692907009. Specifically, see troubleshooting run books
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Yes. In the Open Library Foundation Slack, look for #openrs-general
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OpenRS Slack channel
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No. While conceptually it performs some functions similarly to INN-Reach, OpenRS is not built off any INN-Reach code.
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No, both the architectural design and the code itself are based on work that dates back to before the conception of ReShare, though OpenRS code has been substantially updated and refreshed.
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No, although OpenRS and ReShare share a common ancestor, so both have some of the same components of that original code base.
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OpenRS fundamentally embraces a number of approaches to resource sharing. We don’t think there is a one size fits all solution and our target is mixed type consortia and lending. Our vision is for OpenRS to accommodate both DCB and ILL (18626) workflows. Progress towards this vision has taken place in multiple stages. Having started out with the ILL app which was inspired by work the project team has done before on systems for national libraries and resource sharing consortia, we’ve been very busy with the initial DCB rollout as a peer approach for high volume print lending in tightly coupled networks. In 2025 we will be extending the toolkit and looking at more smoothly integrating the different resource sharing protocols.
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OpenRS DCB and OpenRS ILL both rely on a suite of tools that address different aspects of the resource sharing problem space. Independently (and initially) these are:
- Directory services – a register of institutions, systems, network memberships and locations.
- Metadata aggregation (system of record for a shared index including metadata harmonization and clustering/deduplication)
- Real time availability aggregation – the ability to create a unified picture of availability for a work or instance across an entire group of responders for display in discovery and use in routing and loading balancing.
Shared index – a reference implementation of a discovery system that integrates the other components. We’re discovery system agnostic but it’s useful to have a component for this.
The DCB coordinator or “OpenRS Hub” – DCB requires a level of integration and system level trust beyond traditional ILL. This is the DCB system core. The ILL app or “OpenRS Local” provides the local view. At the moment this provides the ILL function but over time it will grow into a general purpose interface or “point of presence” into the resource sharing network for an institution. As we work to further integrate the different resource sharing protocols over 2025, “OpenRS Local” suite will become very important in that work.We’re also looking to more directly address the problem of shared identifiers and named entity recognition in a semantic context (as a better solution to the deduplication problem) and are exploring ideas for an OpenRS data spine.
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In the first 6 months of 2025 we will be rolling out the Galileo project which integrates ILL and DCB as well as addressing some technical and architectural debt from the mobius rollout. This involves the separation of some modules into smaller services now that we better understand the boundaries of the subsystems.
In terms of a demonstration, we will do our best to accommodate the time difference. This way we can help with any questions which you may have.