DREXEL HILL, PA, September 12, 2023 — The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI) welcomes Holy Family University to the consortium’s membership of 74 academic and research libraries.
Through membership, Holy Family University faculty, students and staff gain access to PALCI’s shared catalog containing more than 46 million items in library collections owned by partnering institutions, in addition to immediate access to substantial electronic content, including more than 300,000 eBooks from top publishers through the consortium’s agreements. Thanks to PALCI’s well-known EZBorrow resource sharing platform, patrons of Holy Family University’s library can leverage this expedited interlibrary loan service to efficiently discover, request, and borrow books and other physical library materials from more than 60 college and university member libraries in the region.
“We look forward to the enhanced learning and research opportunities this alliance will bring to our students, faculty, and staff,” shared Library Director Shannon Brown. In the coming weeks, Holy Family University Library’s staff will begin working with PALCI and the consortium’s service providers to plan the technical aspects of the library’s EZBorrow implementation, as well as the training and onboarding of library staff, with a launch date to be determined and announced later this year. Holy Family University is also looking forward to participating in PALCI’s Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives through Affordable Learning PA, a member-led community of practice that developed out of an LSTA grant, which was secured and directed by PALCI. Brown acknowledged, “Open educational resources will not only ease students’ financial burden but also pave the way for a more inclusive and innovative learning environment.”
Originally founded as the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc., PALCI has expanded its membership to include members in New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia. PALCI members include small, private liberal arts colleges and very large public and private institutions working together to harness the power and scale of this large and diverse collaboration.
“This partnership not only expands our access to a wealth of academic resources but also strengthens the sense of community and collaboration among institutions,” stated Brown.
“PALCI’s value proposition is one that is truly bi-directional, and one of partnership. By joining PALCI, Holy Family University gains access to the collections sharing opportunities that are often unattainable when going it alone. At the same time, PALCI is delighted to begin collaborating with Holy Family University and is strengthened by the unique strengths, expertise, and colleagues they bring to our mix,” shared Jill Morris, PALCI Executive Director.
To explore how PALCI supports academic and research libraries in Pennsylvania and the surrounding geographic region, visit https://palci.org/about/members.
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About Holy Family University
Holy Family University is a private institution in the Catholic tradition with campus locations in Philadelphia and Newtown, PA. Founded in 1954, the University is informed by its values-driven mission. Holy Family embraces diversity and inclusion, ensuring a welcoming and accessible learning community for all. The University comprises four schools: Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, Education, and Nursing & Health Sciences. Nestled in the heart of a historic residential neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, and a bucolic setting in Bucks County, the University is just minutes from the excitement of Center City. Holy Family enrolls more than 3,600 students at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels and was rated the 2023 Safest College in Philadelphia by Niche.com.
Holy Family University is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
About PALCI
PALCI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization, which originated in 1996 as the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc., a grassroots federation of 35 academic libraries in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Known today as the Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation, the PALCI membership has grown to include more than 70 academic and research libraries in Pennsylvania and contiguous states. PALCI’s mission is to enable cost-effective and sustainable access to information resources and services for academic libraries in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. PALCI is well known for its highly-regarded EZBorrow consortial ILL service. PALCI members partner to serve over 800,000 students, faculty, and staff, with a particular focus on collaborative collections programs, resource sharing services, and innovative technology projects and approaches to library services. For more information contact jill@palci.org or visit palci.org.
