CARL-LAC Report Proposes National Shared Print Network for Canada

From the Canada Association of Research Libraries:

A joint working group of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) today released its final report, laying the groundwork for a collective shared print program across Canadian libraries.

Launched in July 2018, the Canadian Collective Print Strategy Working Group (CCPSWG) brought together 14 representatives from key academic, public, and government libraries, and from regional consortia with active shared print programs. The group studied existing shared print initiatives within Canada and the US, as well as existing library storage facilities across the country, and ran a pilot overlap study that looked at print federal government publications held by 26 participating libraries. The final report from this overlap study is included as an appendix to this report. The working group gained many useful insights that will be valuable in shaping future rounds of collection analysis at the national level.

From the report: “This national strategy provides libraries with a means to consolidate print collections while ensuring long-term content retention and access for users. We have considered digitization as a critical factor that impacts print retention requirements and the provision of access. While the strategy encompasses all categories of print (monographs, serials, government documents), we have a primary focus on Canadian materials.”

This report outlines thirteen recommendations for the successful establishment of a national shared print network in Canada, including a proposal that the Council of Pacific and Prairie University Libraries (COPPUL) serve as the administrative host for the national network. In its consultations with libraries and consortia, the CCPSWG found a tremendous level of interest and eagerness to actively participate in such a network, and anticipates that its steering committee will be in place by early 2021.

Direct to Full Text: Final Report of the Canadian Collective Print Strategy Working Group
35 pages; PDF.

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