CardBridge

CardBridge is a web + mobile app that lets patrons use one verified digital library card across multiple participating libraries and archives, even when those institutions run different ILS platforms. Patrons can discover items, place holds, and request scans or interlibrary loans without re-registering everywhere. Libraries get a lightweight admin console to approve cross-institution access rules, set lending limits, and view basic analytics. The core is identity and entitlement: verify a patron once (via existing library card + address/phone checks), then issue a portable access token accepted by partner institutions. This doesn’t “replace” an ILS; it sits on top and routes requests into each library’s existing workflows. Realistically, adoption will be the hard part—so the MVP should focus on a small consortium, one or two ILS integrations, and clear value: fewer desk verifications, fewer duplicate accounts, and faster lending/requests.