How one ISO standard led the way for national library infrastructure
Keynote Theatre | Thu 22 Jan 1:30 p.m.–2:15 p.m.
Presented by
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Sae Ra Germaine
@saera@ausglam.space
@ms_mary_mac
https://saeragermaine.au
Sae Ra Germaine is the Deputy CEO of a leading library consortium in Melbourne, Australia, bringing over 20 years of expertise in resource-sharing frameworks and open-source technology integration within libraries. With a Bachelor of Computing (Honours), she oversees the consortium’s high-density Storage Centre, supporting sustainable and accessible resource management for member institutions. Sae Ra has been instrumental in establishing resource-sharing systems that allow libraries to maximise space and efficiently share materials.
An advocate for open-source systems, Sae Ra promotes customisable library management solutions that reduce reliance on costly proprietary software. Her leadership in organisations like VALA – Libraries, Technology, and the Future, and Linux Australia underscores her dedication to community-centered technology. As a member of auDA’s General Advisory Standing Committee, she also influences digital policy impacting library technology. Sae Ra advises on a range of topics including digital transformation, open-source adoption, and collaborative library ecosystems, advocating for a future where libraries are resilient, innovative, and accessible.
Sae Ra Germaine
@saera@ausglam.space
@ms_mary_mac
https://saeragermaine.au
Sae Ra Germaine is the Deputy CEO of a leading library consortium in Melbourne, Australia, bringing over 20 years of expertise in resource-sharing frameworks and open-source technology integration within libraries. With a Bachelor of Computing (Honours), she oversees the consortium’s high-density Storage Centre, supporting sustainable and accessible resource management for member institutions. Sae Ra has been instrumental in establishing resource-sharing systems that allow libraries to maximise space and efficiently share materials.
An advocate for open-source systems, Sae Ra promotes customisable library management solutions that reduce reliance on costly proprietary software. Her leadership in organisations like VALA – Libraries, Technology, and the Future, and Linux Australia underscores her dedication to community-centered technology. As a member of auDA’s General Advisory Standing Committee, she also influences digital policy impacting library technology. Sae Ra advises on a range of topics including digital transformation, open-source adoption, and collaborative library ecosystems, advocating for a future where libraries are resilient, innovative, and accessible.
Abstract
ISO18626 was first released in 2014 and is the standard that allows for libraries to loan and request items from each other. Fast forward to 2025, we are now on version 2021, designing for the future and if you are a researcher you can submit an inter-library loan or document delivery request to your university library and through the magic of a national database you will be provided with your request in under 2 days using this very standard.
Spearheaded by the National Library of Australia and implemented by CAVAL and Index Data, this year long project saw the replacement of the nation's legacy proprietary system to a fully open source platform called Project ReShare. The launch in mid-2025, we released the platform to more than 300+ libraries, this presentation will talk through and celebrate the intricacies of implementing, communicating, developing, project managing to all those libraries. It was not an easy project but it's a groundbreaking technology that is leading by example around the world.
ISO18626 was first released in 2014 and is the standard that allows for libraries to loan and request items from each other. Fast forward to 2025, we are now on version 2021, designing for the future and if you are a researcher you can submit an inter-library loan or document delivery request to your university library and through the magic of a national database you will be provided with your request in under 2 days using this very standard.
Spearheaded by the National Library of Australia and implemented by CAVAL and Index Data, this year long project saw the replacement of the nation's legacy proprietary system to a fully open source platform called Project ReShare. The launch in mid-2025, we released the platform to more than 300+ libraries, this presentation will talk through and celebrate the intricacies of implementing, communicating, developing, project managing to all those libraries. It was not an easy project but it's a groundbreaking technology that is leading by example around the world.