Resource Sharing
“The mission of the Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation (IPLC) is to benefit current and future scholars globally by maximizing the benefits of the members’ assets to collect, preserve, and provide access to information resources in support of teaching, learning, and research at member libraries.”
– Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation Memorandum of Understanding, Fall 2018
Resource Sharing is at the heart of the Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation (IPLC). Our partnership rests on a foundation established more than two decades ago with the collaborative development and launch of BorrowDirect, an unmediated resource sharing service. As the partnership’s flagship program, BorrowDirect provides expedited access to a rich and unique record of scholarly thought and creativity, sharing more than 3 million items since its inception in 1999.
Reflecting the preeminence of partnering institutions, BorrowDirect program has become a collaborative hallmark for efficient resource sharing, enhanced access to collections for the partnership’s faculty, students, and researchers, and a touchstone for innovative thinking and practice among large research libraries.
Our goal is to continuously provide efficient and effective access to information resources in support of current and future scholars, globally.
Vision
We view efficient and effective access to information resources as the cornerstone of research and innovation. We continuously seek to improve our existing service, BorrowDirect, and to envision new methods and technologies to the evolving information needs of our collective faculty, students, and researchers.
Governance
The IPLC Resource Access & Sharing Strategies group (RASS) is composed of up to two representatives from each IPLC institution. The group’s work is facilitated by an executive committee composed of a Chair, Vice-Chair, and Member-at-Large. The Director of Resource Sharing Initiatives (DRSI) serves as an ex officio, non-voting member of the group and executive committee. Additional sub-groups and task forces may be appointed as needed.