# /programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/sharedprint/policy.htm

originally: http://www.oclc.org/programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/sharedprint/policy.htm

# Define Policy and Infrastructure Requirements for Building and Managing Shared Print Collections ### Background At the RLG Annual Meeting in June 2008, a group of interested institutions volunteered to help scope a project that would identify the policy and business requirements managing library print collections as a pooled resource.Since then, we've witnessed several milestone events that make this already timely work appear even more imperative: Completion of a long-awaited study (commissioned by Ithaka) that proposes an objective measure of "optimal overlap" to ensure long-term preservation of library print collections; this study suggests that duplication requirements for preservation purposes may be significantly higher than previously supposed, increasing the risks of loosely-coordinated collection management in an environment where space pressures are intensifying; Completion of the RLG Shared Print Working Group's review of policies governing single, shared and last copy collections; this review suggests that a minimum set of policy elements may be adequate to support distributed print archiving efforts, provided such efforts leverage existing networks of trust; it further identified requirements for achieving network scale; Completion of the OCLC Cooperative Collection Management Trust pilot, which examined the feasibility of aggregating holdings and circulation data for circulating and off-site library collections to produce reports with predictive value for local preservation and de-duplication initiatives; the pilot confirmed that data services alone will be inadequate to stimulate significant change in collection management practices; instead, inter-institutional agreements that raise confidence in the availability and durability of partner collections are needed; Completion of the UK Research Reserve Phase I pilot, which established a model for cooperative management of low-use journal titles and produced cost figures for both local de-duplication efforts and subscription access to a shared print collection; while the UKRR model relies on a centralized delivery infrastructure that can't be easily replicated in North America, it does provide an instructive example of how motivated institutions can make rapid progress on shared print efforts without waiting on system-wide behavioral or infrastructure changes.In July 2008, the UKRR was awarded £10 million to develop the technical and social infrastructure required to make the project sustainable for the long-term. Publication of a report by the United States Government Printing Office (Regional Depository Libraries in the 21st Century: A Time for Change?) that urges a re-evaluation of the single largest distributed print preservation program in the United States and raises questions about the levels of duplication and models of institutional ownership that underpin the Federal Depository Library Program. Collectively, the results of these individual initiatives suggest that we have adequate evidence in hand to demonstrate both need for and the feasibility of implementing a new model of collections ownership, retention and access that will enable research institutions to maximize the return on ongoing investments in library materials. Annual investment in library materials (including print resources) continues to rise each year, placing increasing pressure on operational expenses and causing administrators to reassess the use of library space. According to the latest NCES statistics, academic research institutions in the US added more than 22 million print volumes to system-wide holdings in the last year alone. A small number of research institutions may be able to justify continued investment in acquiring new and retaining large legacy print collections for the foreseeable future; many more will need to negotiate as-needed access to holdings that no longer serve local student/faculty requirements.A new business model is needed that will enable research libraries to establish partnerships capable of sustaining the long-term future of print collections, distributing the costs and benefits of acquiring and preserving content in tangible formats, and allowing aggregate holdings to be "right sized" in view of aggregate demand. RLG partner institutions are well-positioned to articulate the business requirements for a collaborative approach to managing library print collections.Our partnership represents institutions with a common mission and mandate to support research and scholarship; for some of our number, this will mean continued investment in acquiring and preserving comprehensive print collections; for others, it will mean strategic redeployment of collections budgets toward just-in-time delivery solutions.We have a unique opportunity before us to implement collaborative management strategies that can transform the economy and social organization of research libraries, securing the long-term future of collections and enabling institutions to reinvest in locally-relevant services that advance the research enterprise. The RLG Programs Coordinating Committee for Shared Print Collections has been charged with scoping a model agreement for shared collection management that is amenable to immediate implementation. This demonstration project will commence in autumn 2008. |  |
For more information Constance Malpas Program Officer malpasc@oclc.org