HathiTrust Launches Resource Sharing Project Launches Pilot with Nine Member Libraries

Here’s the Full Text of Today’s Announcement From HathiTrust:

After several months of discovery and development, the HathiTrust Resource Sharing project has launched a pilot with nine participating member libraries. The first new service from HathiTrust since the launch of Emergency Temporary Access in 2020, HathiTrust Resource Sharing will expand access to in-copyright materials in the collection for use in interlibrary loan (ILL) and document delivery. Through this service, ILL staff at HathiTrust member libraries in the United States will have the ability to log in and securely access digitized in-copyright content held in their print collections, allowing them to fulfill requests for chapters or articles for their patrons or other libraries.

From September to December, libraries participating in the pilot will utilize HathiTrust Resource Sharing in their lending operations and report their findings to the HathiTrust team through regular meetings and focus groups. Outcomes from the pilot will inform refinement of technical infrastructure, policies, and workflows to ensure member libraries in the future can seamlessly integrate HathiTrust Resource Sharing into their local lending practices.

Susana Noriega-Edmond, Brown University Library’s Manager of Resource Sharing and Rockefeller Stacks Maintenance, says, “We are very excited to participate in this pilot, as it offers our patrons faster, more seamless access to collections and strengthens our collaborations with HathiTrust and partner libraries.”

Libraries Participating in the Pilot

• Brown University
• Cornell University
• New York Public Library
• University of Michigan
• University of California – Berkeley
• University of Chicago
• University of Massachusetts – Amherst
• University of North Dakota
• The Ohio State University

Jennifer Vinopal, Associate Director of HathiTrust and project sponsor, says, “This is the first Strategic Vision initiative focused on expanding in-copyright access to the collection, which is a top priority for our members. We’re grateful to the libraries that have agreed to participate in the pilot. Our goal is to learn from their experiences and to create a resource sharing service to help members deliver ILL materials more quickly and efficiently.”

HathiTrust Resource Sharing will initially only be available to HathiTrust member libraries in the United States due to variations in international ILL processes. A future phase will explore expanding the service to member libraries located outside the U.S. Currently, only libraries participating in the pilot may utilize the service. A phased rollout to all eligible HathiTrust member libraries will begin in early 2026.

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