Shared Print Collections

OCLC and the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) have completed a two-year project that has added support for the registration of serial retention commitments in OCLC’s WorldCat database, improved discovery of shared print data, and enhanced CRL’s Print Archives Preservation Registry (PAPR). The expanded functionality is a significant step forward in collectively managing the preservation of the scholarly record for future generations.

The Shared Print Data Infrastructure project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The new OCLC Shared Print Management Program is designed to help libraries register shared print collections holdings in WorldCat so that they can collaborate closely to more efficiently manage and share these collections.

A growing number of regional efforts are under way to consolidate and preserve print collections among multiple libraries in response to the widespread availability of digital resources and increasing pressure for space in campus library buildings.