Introduction: a teaching-focused institution
At MacEwan University, learning is built on connection. With smaller class sizes, exceptional undergraduate teaching, and strong community engagement, the institution’s mission is clear: “to provide transformative education through exceptional undergraduate teaching, student-centred learning, and strong engagement with the community.”
The John L. Haar Library plays a critical role in that mission. It strives to be welcoming and student-centred, supporting learning, teaching, scholarly, and creative work through innovative services, knowledgeable staff, and well-rounded digital and print collections.
To support this mission, the library relies on solutions that remove barriers for students and faculty and that work seamlessly together.
The challenge: transitioning to a unified, future-ready system
When MacEwan’s consortial group of libraries restructured, the library needed to re-evaluate its interlibrary loan solution. At the same time, they were adopting Alma as their library services platform, which created a natural opportunity to modernize resource sharing.
The decision wasn’t just about replacing a system, it was about moving toward an integrated environment where Clarivate’s library solutions work together seamlessly. Alma, Rapido, and Primo would give MacEwan’s students and faculty a consistent, streamlined experience, ensuring fast access to the materials they need to succeed.
The solution: Rapido integrated with Alma and Primo
Rapido stood out for its deep integration within the Clarivate ecosystem, providing a unified experience for both staff and users.
“Having an interlibrary loan system integrated with our ILS has been great. Our students, staff and faculty members can easily see the status of their requests within their account, and they’re able to make requests without having to log into a different service.”
For staff, automation has been a game-changer. Instead of manual intervention, requests are routed quickly and intelligently:
“I love being able to set up a rotation of libraries that should have the materials that we need, have it automatically send out the requests and move the requests to the next library if they’re unable to.”
With Rapido working hand-in-hand with Alma and Primo, the library has established a resource-sharing workflow that is not only efficient but also truly student-centered.
The impact: Faster access for students and faculty
Speed and simplicity have made a visible difference in the student and faculty experience.
“Rapido and RapidILL have greatly improved how fast we receive materials, and without staff intervention.”
The integration with Primo in particular has empowered students to get what they need directly, without extra steps:
“We also have a large textbook collection that is highly used by our students that they can request chapter scans from and having it requestable from the Primo record makes it so easy to do.”
This seamless experience across Clarivate products aligns perfectly with MacEwan’s mission of student-centered learning, ensuring that no student is slowed down by logistical barriers.
The staff perspective: Efficiency and collaboration
Rapido has also transformed how staff approach interlibrary loans. With automation in place, they spend less time chasing requests and more time supporting students.
“Now that we’ve worked out some issues, and libraries are steadily moving to Rapido and Alma Resource Sharing, things have been great. We’re able to send requests to libraries automatically, and re-route them without staff intervention.”
Equally important, MacEwan is now part of a growing resource-sharing community across Canada:
By adopting Clarivate’s interconnected solutions, MacEwan has strengthened both its local services and its place in the broader academic library community.
Looking ahead
The library is beginning to track new data points that will highlight the impact of Rapido, from turnaround times to fulfillment rates. While early, the confidence is clear: the system is delivering both immediate improvements and long-term promise.
As more libraries join the Alma and Rapido ecosystem, MacEwan sees growing potential for collaboration and even faster delivery of resources.
Conclusion: A seamless Clarivate ecosystem for student success
By adopting Rapido, MacEwan University has aligned its library services with its teaching mission: student-centered, efficient, and future-ready.
Faster access to resources, seamless integration with Alma and Primo, and growing collaboration with peer institutions all add up to a transformation in resource sharing.
For MacEwan, the story is simple: when Clarivate solutions work together, students get what they need, when they need it, and learning thrives.
- Speed
Faster delivery of resources through automation and the Rapido network. - Seamless Integration
Alma, Rapido, and Primo work together as one unified ecosystem. - User-Friendly
Students and faculty can easily request and track materials from their own account. - Simplicity
One system, fewer barriers, more focus on learning and research. - Resource Accessibility
Digital and physical resources are accessible without delays or extra steps. - Community Collaboration
A growing network of libraries sharing resources through Alma and Rapido. - Efficiency
Less manual work for staff – more time to support students directly.
About Clarivate
Clarivate is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com
