Charge
Through its activities, the Collection Development Working Group will establish a framework for developing strategies and initiate projects to foster the growth of and increase access to German language print and electronic collections and lead to more effective collaboration among libraries. As part of these efforts, the Working Group can create virtual or in-person programmatic events.
The Working Group’s charge includes but is not limited to the following:
- Gather and present data that reflect members’ activities and allow analysis of members’ acquisitions trends.
- Map and assess collaborative collection development initiatives in consortia and among member libraries as they relate to German-language collections and German Studies
- Create, maintain, promote an online directory of distinctive and special collections related to German Studies held in North American and European libraries.
- Identify, monitor and review electronic products, when appropriate establishing contacts with vendors and assessing members' interest in negotiations.
- Promote the use of Open Access resources related to German Studies.
- Create small-scale projects of archiving digital-born resources related to German Studies.
Current Activities
GNARP’s Collection Development Working Group encourages its members to add their German language newspaper holdings to the ESS Libguide German-Language Newspaper Access in North America.
This Working Group also facilitates consortial licenses to many of the products listed on the Electronic Resources page.
Background
Collecting German-language materials poses unique challenges for North American research libraries. Since not even the largest institutions have ever been able to approach a comprehensive acquisitions program for German-language resources, libraries have been unable to satisfy the working needs of scholars with their own collections.
Even those libraries traditionally relying on cooperative collection development programs and interlibrary loan have fallen short of their own goals. For these reasons the Collection Development Working Group, in meeting the challenges of German-language bibliography, will focus its efforts on promoting a higher level of interinstitutional and transatlantic cooperation, supported by new and emerging technologies.
Getting Involved
The Collection Development Working Group’s Meeting Minutes and other information related to the ongoing work of the Working Group may be found in the Collection Development Working Group Workspace.
The Collection Development Working Group Workspace is a wiki tool that members can access to review and edit or add content. It is open only to GNARP Members. Contact the CRL representative for information on access to the Workspace.
To join the Collection Development Working Group, contact the CRL representative and provide your full name, e-mail address, and institutional affiliation.
