The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) libraries have agreed to proceed with a pilot of Relais D2D. The pilot will include: University of Chicago; University of Iowa; University of Michigan; Michigan State University; Northwestern University; and Pennsylvania State University. Relais D2D (Discovery to Delivery) is a next-generation software platform for consortial borrowing from Relais International. The CIC libraries will implement Relais D2D over the summer with the goal of being live by the fall semester 2011.The CIC is the nation's premier higher education consortium of top-tier research institutions, including the Big Ten Conference members and the University of Chicago. (www.cic.net)
Relais D2D is a standards based, open system that offers a framework upon which new services and options can be offered to patrons. The MasterKey platform from Index Data is the basis for a fully featured discovery layer for patrons. A ‘live' availability check notifies the patron immediately as to whether the material they want can be supplied from a CIC library. Should the material not be available, the option to submit a request for processing via traditional ILL is provided. In the CIC implementation Relais D2D will pass the availability information for requests to each library's local ILL system, ILLiad. The library staff will manage all requests via their respective ILLiad system. Atlas Systems and Relais International are working together to support this feature.
Clare MacKeigan, COO of Relais International, says "We are delighted to be working together with the CIC members to provide a new resource sharing platform for their end users and staff. As with all of our customers, we are looking forward to a long and close working relationship."
Relais International Inc is based in Ottawa, Canada and has been selling systems to support resource sharing, interlibrary loan and document delivery services since 1996. Relais International (www.relais-intl.com) assists libraries in implementing intelligent and automated methods to support requesting through to delivery of documents. Relais products range from scanning stations through to fully integrated request management, scanning and delivery software suitable for a single library through to a consortium.
