A Manifesto for Rethinking Resource Sharing
We believe that libraries have a responsibility to ensure users can easily access the information resources they need, at the time they need them, and in the format that best meets their needs. We, therefore, believe that resource sharing is a core library service.
Libraries must strengthen and improve their systems by working collaboratively across networks and with vendors. Discovery and delivery systems must be accessible, affordable, and efficient in order to provide equitable access to information. Library leaders must align policies and practices for all library services, including resource sharing, collection development, discovery tools, metadata, reference services, and delivery systems to significantly reduce service barriers and costs and embrace innovation to meet ever-evolving user needs. Resource sharing, as a core library service, requires leaders with a high level of expertise and knowledge. A thriving and dynamic global resource sharing environment depends on cooperation at the local, regional, national, and international level.
Toward that end, we endorse the following principles which reflect both enduring values and new imperatives for libraries:
1. Adaptable
1.1. Embrace change as constant, whether it be in terms of funding, staffing, technology, workflows, or user needs.
1.2. Cultivate interoperability among library systems to enhance efficiencies, reduce costs, and foster an open resource sharing ecosystem.
2. Equitable
2.1. Lend generously and only add restrictions when absolutely required.
2.2. Charge fair and transparent costs, only when necessary, to promote affordability and minimize the burdens on users and libraries.
2.3. Waive fees, when possible, for libraries experiencing temporary or systemic hardship.
2.4. Promote broad access to items by entering into regional, national, and international resource sharing agreements, and by including all cultural institutions in resource sharing, for example: libraries, archives, and museums.
3. User-Centered
3.1. Prioritize user choice in formats and delivery options.
3.2. Emphasize usability through intuitive, easy to use discovery and request systems.
3.3. Optimize accessibility in both web interfaces and supplied digital items. Integrate remediation within workflows.
3.4. Pursue requested materials with diligence, exhausting all reasonable avenues to fill requests. When appropriate, refer users to reference, or other library services, when material cannot be obtained.
3.5. Engage in clear, frequent, and open communication with users.
4. Efficient
4.1. Save the time of the user by prioritizing speed and accuracy in fulfillment.
4.2. Save the time of the staff by implementing new workflows, technology, and automation which will allow for them to focus on specialized work.
4.3. Review new and existing hardware, software, and workflows regularly to optimize the service.
4.4. Ensure systems are robust and secure in order to function during crises, such as pandemics, cyber attacks, natural disasters, or economic downturns.
5. Collaborative
5.1. Leverage the power of working collaboratively with other practitioners to influence or change the future of the field.
5.2. Share knowledge freely with other resource sharing practitioners through listservs, publications, and presentations.
5.3. Collaborate with reference and other library services to meet users’ information needs.
5.4. Work with vendors to improve software and to create solutions.
6. Advocate
6.1. Work with leadership at your library and other stakeholders to spread awareness of resource sharing best practices and change policies and workflows to embrace these principles.
6.2. Advocate for licensing agreements that allow an facilitate domestic and international sharing of electronic materials.
6.3. Insist on open metadata, free from technical and contractual restrictions, to allow equitable access for the essential (meta)data that powers interlibrary loan.
6.4. Prioritize collaborative purchasing, shared infrastructure, and cost-sharing agreements to ensure that resource sharing remains sustainable.
6.5. Drive vendor relationships, in coordination with the resource sharing community, to demand interoperable solutions and push for continuous software and service improvement.
A Call to Action
Libraries remain centers for knowledge, equity, and community. To maintain this role, every institution must:
- Re-evaluate its service model in light of these updated principles.
- Revise policies and workflows to align with global resource sharing needs.
- Adopt open, inclusive, and accessible systems that expose and make broadly available collections and expertise.
- Encourage innovation at every level in the library organization as a source of empowerment for staff and continuous improvement of library services.
By committing to these values, libraries can continue to thrive as trusted partners in the global exchange of knowledge and adapt to changing circumstances and challenges.
Respectfully submitted by members of the Rethinking Resource Sharing Initiative Rebooting Team:
Tom Bruno, Assistant Director of Content Access, Princeton University
Lapis Cohen, Library Specialist, University of Pennsylvania
Clara Fehrenbach, Document Delivery Services Librarian, University of Chicago
Brynne Norton, Head of Resource Sharing and Reserves, University of Maryland
Jen Salvo, Head of Resource Sharing, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Mark Sullivan, Executive Director of IDS Network, SUNY Geneseo
Read the Original Manifesto, 2007-2025.