Linda Hall Library has joined Ex Libris, an international library software corporation, as a development partner for their Rapido resource sharing product. This partnership will allow the Library to bring its vast collection of science, engineering and technology materials into the Rapido network and provide access to these resources to libraries all over the world.

Linda Hall Library chose Rapido, a product of Ex Libris, part of Clarivate plc (NYSE: CLVT), for its ability to expand the Library’s reach and accessibility to library users around the world. As a development partner, Linda Hall Library is helping Rapido build workflows specific to lending-only libraries.

 “Researchers in Kansas City and all over the world rely on our library to provide access to hard to find and lightly held materials,” said Jane Davis, Vice President for Access and Digital Services at Linda Hall Library. “The breadth and depth of these materials document the trajectory of scientific research over many decades and provide access to materials that are not available anywhere else.”  For nearly 78 years, Linda Hall Library has established itself as a leading lender of scientific, engineering and technological resources. Its vast collection of over one million books, journals, manuscripts, government documents, technical reports, industry standards and patents in dozens of languages makes it a go-to resource for libraries and patrons worldwide seeking access to  STEM research materials. It also maintains longstanding depository partnerships with leading scientific societies including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which deposit conference proceedings and papers with the Library.

As the Linda Hall Library transitioned to remote-access services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the library used Alma, a cloud-based library management system, to allow its staff to work remotely and ensure a smooth customer experience when requesting and granting access to research materials. As demand for online lending has grown, so has Linda Hall Library’s available remote access and digital services. The new partnership with the Rapido library resource sharing platform allows Linda Hall Library the opportunity to develop net-lender workflows integrated with the Alma platform.

“In an average year, we receive over 39,000 document delivery and interlibrary loan requests with an average fill-rate of over 70%,” said Davis. “While we have been very successful in providing access to researchers all over the world, Rapido offers the opportunity to broaden our reach to a new audience and improve services.”

About the Linda Hall Library 

Since 1946, the Linda Hall Library has been amassing collections that have powered investigation, innovation, exploration and inspiration. Today, the Library is a leading independent research library known for the breadth and depth of its collections across 82 languages, its role as an international destination for scholarship and research, its support of teachers of the STEM curricula, and the vast resources it provides to learners of all ages interested in scientific exploration and discovery. Learn more at lindahall.org. 

About Rapido:

Rapido is an integrated borrowing solution that delivers intuitive library experiences:

For users, Rapido provides an intuitive digital borrowing experience that blurs the lines between the library collection and the collective collection. Instead of looking for a title on the web, searching for it on the library website, filling out endless forms and crossing fingers to receive the item on time for the assignment, students and researchers can borrow titles in just a few clicks, without ever leaving the library’s interface. Its intuitive journey and transparent delivery dates make it the ideal tool to give users full ownership of their borrowing journey and academic success.

For libraries, Rapido limitlessly extends the collection without extending the budget with automated access to the global community’s resources. In addition, with its integration into the library ILS and its automation of the borrowing-and-lending processes, staff manage a higher volume of requests with less effort.

To learn more on how to get library users the luxury of unlimited resource access within only a few clicks, visit exlibrisgroup.com.