Research Solutions & Third Iron Partner To Streamline Content Access For Academic Libraries
Integration Delivers Full Coverage of Scholarly Content While Optimizing Costs And Workflow Complexity
HENDERSON, Nev., June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Research Solutions (NASDAQ:RSSS), a leading provider of AI-powered scientific research tools, announces a strategic integration with Third Iron's LibKey platform that enhances how researchers access scholarly content. The partnership integrates Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS) into LibKey's linking ecosystem, providing libraries with expanded options for essential content to supplement traditional subscriptions by offering users direct, one-click access.
The integration simplifies the multi-step process researchers face when seeking articles not available through their library's direct holdings. By incorporating AGS into LibKey's established "waterfall" linking structure, the partnership provides users with immediate, clearly marked access to over 34,000 journals through auto-mediated document delivery – reducing the complexity and delays of traditional interlibrary loan processes.
"This integration significantly improves how libraries can serve their research communities," said Scott L. Ahlberg, Chief Operating Officer at Research Solutions. "By bringing Article Galaxy Scholar directly into the discovery workflow through LibKey, we're streamlining access while providing users with clear information about their options. Libraries also gain valuable insight into actual research demand patterns to inform collection development decisions."
The LibKey-AGS integration operates within LibKey's established linking hierarchy, first checking open access, publisher subscription, and aggregator subscription sources before automatically turning to AGS when full-text access isn't available through these sources. This approach ensures libraries avoid duplicate payments for content they already own while providing direct access to materials that would otherwise require ILL requests.
The integration brings AGS's core capabilities directly into library discovery workflows:
- Pathway To Essential Content: AGS provides access to materials to supplement library holdings
- Comprehensive Journal Coverage: 34,000+ journals with automated mediation
- Near-Instant Delivery: 98% instant delivery compared to multi-day ILL wait times
- 24/7 Availability: Continuous access without staffing constraints
- Permanent Article Retention: Users keep articles for ongoing research, unlike temporary access models
- Enhanced Collection Development Intelligence: AGS delivers detailed usage data that complements traditional COUNTER metrics
- Link Resolver Integration: AGS complements your existing holdings by providing a cost-effective access path before users are routed to ILL
Through the LibKey integration, these AGS capabilities now appear seamlessly in discovery environments from Primo and Summon to PubMed, Scopus, and Scite, with users seeing a simple "Request PDF" option when AGS content is available. Libraries retain full administrative controls, including budget limits by user group, date-based settings, and approval workflows.
"This integration combines user convenience with institutional efficiency," said John Seguin, President and Chief Librarian at Third Iron. "By incorporating AGS into LibKey's waterfall linking structure, we're able to present researchers with immediate access options through the interfaces they already use and trust. The integration demonstrates how connecting proven technologies can expand access possibilities while maintaining the streamlined user experience that LibKey is known for."
The integration directly addresses common library challenges, including satisfying faculty research needs, evaluating content with unknown demand, and optimizing collection development investments. AGS provides libraries with detailed visibility into actual research demand patterns.
"We're bringing the document delivery decision point into the discovery process," added Ahlberg. "Instead of users encountering access barriers and potentially abandoning their research, they immediately understand their options and can access needed content efficiently. For libraries, this means improved user satisfaction and data-driven insights into content priorities for their communities."
The LibKey-AGS integration is currently being piloted with select institutions and will be more widely available in the coming months. The integration is available for LibKey Discovery/API implementations, including Ex Libris Primo and Summon integrations, with additional LibKey services receiving AGS integration capabilities in Summer 2025.
About Research Solutions
Research Solutions (NASDAQ:RSSS) is a vertical SaaS and AI company that simplifies research workflow for academic institutions, life science companies, and research organizations worldwide. As one of the only publisher-independent marketplaces for scientific, technical, and medical (STM) content, the company uniquely combines AI-powered tools—including an intelligent research assistant and full-text search capabilities—with seamless access to both open access and paywalled research. The platform enables organizations to discover, access, manage and analyze scientific literature more efficiently, accelerating the pace of scientific discovery.
About Third Iron
Third Iron, LLC is a leading information technology company developing innovative services that benefit libraries and their users. Third Iron services BrowZine and LibKey are used by researchers from over 2,000 corporate, hospital, university and government libraries across 35 countries. For more information, visit https://thirdiron.com/.
For more information, visit https://www.researchsolutions.com.
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SOURCE Research Solutions, Inc.