Members of the task force often receive questions about Rapido through email, Slack, or during presentations. To ensure everyone has access to these answers, we are posting them here. This will be updated as we find answers to new questions.
General Rapido Questions
There's been plenty of mentions of the goals of Rapido. Do you think it succeeds in these goals?
For the most part Rapido succeeds at its goals. The workflow isn’t overly complicated, it provides additional benefits to patrons, and it’s fast. However the product is still in development and some features have yet to fully materialize.
Are all CSU libraries considering this? We have never been a Rapid library so wondering if this is something COLD is wanting us to be part of?
All CSU libraries will have the opportunity to decide to sign on as a Rapido customer.
Is there a timeline for when it will be ready?
It is difficult to say due to the pandemic, but current estimates are for late 2021.
There's been plenty of mentions of the goals of Rapido. Do you think it succeeds in these goals?
For the most part Rapido succeeds at its goals. The workflow isn’t complicated, it provides additional benefits to patrons, and it’s fast. However, the product is still in development and some features have yet to fully materialize.
Cost and Budget
Do we know what the pricing model might be like?
Members of the Council Of Library Deans (COLD) have received a price quote for joining Rapido as development partners. This price is will eventually expire, at which point the price will go up substantially. Joining as a development partner locks in the lower price for future subscription renewals.
Sounds like this will rely on student assistants. Our budget has been cut severely and this is a concern.
Consolidating resource sharing services into Alma/Rapido should reduce workload with its more automated workflows. As more libraries join Rapido we should use other systems less and less, further reducing workload.
Is it anticipated that this will impact the cost of electronic journal subscriptions and digital book pricing?
We are not anticipating a change in costs for subscriptions and digital books because we already participate in resource sharing. Rapido should help us streamline workflows for patrons and staff as they submit and fill resource sharing requests.
Configuration and Workflows
Can we see how patrons would request an article in Primo?
How does shipping label creation compare to ILLiad? Are they as easily customizable? do multiple labels print on one page?
Shipping labels follow the same procedures for printing as everything else in Alma, it uses Alma Letters to print. Customizing shipping labels is the same process as customizing Alma letters.
Unfortunately, this means multiple items cannot be printed on a single page without using an API or something similar to CleanSlips.
Will there be more blank forms beyond “Book” and “Article”?
Yes, Ex Libris has discussed having more types of blank forms and you can edit the fields on the forms.
I see the patron benefits but do staff benefit? Right now at my library we have to process books multiple ways using multiple systems.
As more libraries join Rapido we will rely less and less on other systems to share materials. Eventually we hope to move all resource sharing to Alma significantly reducing the different workflows needed.
How quickly are large articles downloaded?
It seems to download quickly during testing.
Rapido and Other Systems
Could it potentially replace CSU+ since the CSUs could be the first pod?
If every CSU joined Rapido we would use Rapido workflows for CSU+. A CSU+ pod would be the first pod a request checks against in Rapido and the rules and policies of the CSU only pod would be the policies currently used in CSU+.
Is this replacing the current RapidILL or is the current RapidILL going to be in existence?
Current RapidILL will continue to exist outside of Alma.
Will this affect how III ILL services (such as Link+) operate?
We don’t yet know how Ex Libris’s purchase of III will affect INNreach integration. Ex Libris hasn’t shared any plans on the topic.
Could the items get deflected over to Rapido or ILLiad automatically when requested?
If materials are not held by any Rapido institutions then they can be deflected to ILLiad. As Rapido grows this should happen less and less. Items from ILLiad cannot deflect to Rapido.