From a Joint News Release (via CRL):
The Partnership for Shared Book Collections (The Partnership), a federation of monograph shared print programs, and the Rosemont Shared Print Alliance (Rosemont Alliance), a collaboration of regional programs focused on preserving print serials and journals, are pleased to announce the growth and expansion of collaboration in shared print in North America. The Center for Research Libraries (CRL), where students, faculty, and researchers at over 200 member institutions benefit from a wealth of scholarly resources in CRL collections, has joined both The Partnership and the Rosemont Alliance.
In addition, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium, VIVA has joined The Partnership, bringing 71 institutions of higher education to advance the vision of ensuring access and preservation to the book content of North America. To provide project management heft to
The Partnership, the organization also announced the selection of Sara Amato to be the organization’s first Program Coordinator.
In commenting on the decision to join The Partnership and the Rosemont Alliance, Greg Eow, President of the Center for Research Libraries, indicated: “One of the most important and challenging issues facing the academy today is how to responsibly steward print collections now and in the future. Our three organizations believe in the power of community to address shared challenges and leverage shared opportunities; our partnership is a natural and exciting alliance that will benefit the entire research enterprise.”
Judy Russell, Dean of University Libraries at the University of Florida and outgoing Chair of the Rosemont Alliance Executive Committee, added “Since its initial founding, the Rosemont Alliance has focused on collective action in responsibly stewarding serials and journals in libraries across the United States. A number of the Rosemont Alliance member programs have worked with CRL on collection analysis initiatives in the past and we look forward to further collaboration with CRL. They are an important partner in improving our ability to work at scale to preserve these valuable resources for the scholarly community.”
Anne Osterman, Director of VIVA, added: “To make a real impact with shared print, libraries need to think big and act together. VIVA is excited to join The Partnership for Shared Books Collections and is deeply supportive of its work to enable a collaborative and comprehensive collection of print books that supports scholarship now and into the future.”
To further its ambitious agenda the Executive Committee of The Partnership has hired Sara Amato as its inaugural Program Coordinator. Sara is responsible for working with governing bodies and members to further the mission of ensuring lasting access to print scholarly resources for generations to come. Daniel Dollar, Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources at Yale University and a member of the search committee said: “Sara brings a wealth of experience in shared print to The Partnership based on her work with the Eastern Academic Scholars’ Trust and the Rosemont Shared Print Alliance) Her project management and organizational skills combine with this experience to best ensure The Partnership continues to push forward our strategic goals and objectives.”
Says Kirsten Leonard, Chair of The Partnership Executive Committee and Executive Director of the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI): “We are making strides in our organizational structure that will enable this group of shared print programs to address the large-scale challenges we face.” These challenges include managing costs, advocating for the retention and access of collections both physically and through controlled digital lending, and supporting the preservation of collections that reflect diverse populations. Leonard says, “One of the most critical objectives is to create a method of data analysis and process to identify at risk collections as institutions face increased financial pressures.”
Read the Complete Announcement
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