Indiana Library Consortia Break Down Individual Li

ONTARIO, Calif., March 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auto-Graphics, Inc. ( auto-graphics.com ), the Industry-leading and first Web-based library resource management solutions provider, is pleased to announce the implementation success the State of Indiana Library has had with SHAREit, the #1 library resource management solution available in North America.

Looking to greatly expand resource sharing and reduce the amount of time spent managing borrowing and lending activities among public libraries, academic libraries, and special libraries within the State of Indiana, in 2016 the Indiana State Library entered into a competitive RFP process for a state-of-the-art interlibrary loan (ILL) resource sharing system. 

The state was looking for a resource sharing system that could leverage existing local library systems and take advantage of standards such as NCIP while also making sure that every library could participant in the new solution.  

The state selected SHAREit, from Auto-Graphics. Post-implementation, SHAREit now seamlessly links together 225 different libraries -- 64 Academic, 159 public and 2 special libraries – all using a variety of library automation collection management products. A visual map illustrating the locations and types of libraries whose materials are now linked together via SHAREit can be viewed here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1WpR...25&z=8

The problem the state wanted to improve upon was that while many of the libraries in Indiana, especially the larger systems, have a functionality similar to SHAREit built into their system catalogs, each of these catalogs forms a silo, making it easy for patrons to get access to materials within that silo, but without a simple way to access the world outside of that silo.  Library standards-based SHAREit, which integrates with any existing ILS, breaks down those limitations and extends the end-user’s reach statewide.  According to Steven Schimdt in the Library Development Office at the Indiana State Library, “The idea of breaking down the individual silos that libraries have built up around themselves over the past decades should appeal to all states.  For us, one of the most important parts of linking those silos together was the linking together and cross-pollination of public, special and academic libraries in a single, user-centric system. Post-implementation, due to the simplified user interface SHAREit provides, staff workflow has been improved and patron satisfaction with ease of discovery and access to materials greatly increased.”

Steven further shares that working with Auto-Graphics customer support “has been a pleasure. Folks at Auto-Graphics have been very good to work with. They have been friendly and approachable with all of our questions, no matter how trivial.” The excellent support provided will ease the way as the state looks to add a second group of consortia participants in the upcoming months.

“SHAREit is based on library standards, such as Z39.50, SIP2, NCIP, and ISO ILL.  That means SHAREit interoperates with your pre-existing library software no matter what vendor you use,” states Paul Cope, President of Auto-Graphics. “Our commitment to library and Internet standards means all libraries can share their resources, leveraging existing systems.  No one should be forced to change their ILS to take advantage of a statewide resource sharing solution.  Each library knows what is best for them and our job and technology is to leverage what they have and add value.”

About Indiana Libraries  Currently, the Indiana version of SHAREit has 64 academic libraries, 159 public library system and 2 special libraries participating. These libraries use an assortment of over twenty different Integrated Library Systems (ILS). The combined catalog of these library systems represents a statewide catalog of nearly 36 million items.

About Auto-Graphics, Inc.  Auto-Graphics is the only publicly-traded library software vendor to provide software solutions along with full financial transparency.  The company’s nearly seven (7) decades of providing solutions to the markets it serves reflects how well Auto-Graphics has listened to their customer base and stayed abreast of new technologies, continuously reinventing their products and services to help libraries of all sizes become more efficient and patron-centric.  The Auto-Graphics browser-based Library Management Platform for patrons and staff – currently used by more than 11,000 libraries in North America – is comprised of VERSO®, an integrated public library system (ILS); SHAREit™, a resource sharing product providing patron-initiated sharing, circulation-based interlibrary loan (ILL) using NCIP and consortial borrowing solutions; SEARCHit™, a federated search and discovery module; SLIMS™, a small library information management system, and MONTAGEdc™, a digital asset management (DAM) solution.  All products are fully compliant with ISO and NISO standards, and are available through the effective cloud-based delivery (SaaS - Software as a Service) model. For more information, please visit www.auto-graphics.com , Facebook , LinkedIn or Twitter .  Auto-Graphics trades under the stock symbol AIFS.

© Auto-Graphics, Inc. All rights reserved. VERSO®, SHAREit™, SEARCHit™, MONTAGEdc™, & SLIMS™ are trademarks of Auto-Graphics, Inc and part of their AGent Library Platform. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Media contact: Elizabeth Kelley Auto‐Graphics, Inc. (909)569‐1544 eak@auto-graphics.com