Digitization Services
CRL provides materials from the collection in digital format where possible to improve access for research and teaching. All CRL-hosted digital content derived from source materials in the public domain (or for which CRL has secured the requisite rights and permissions) are available on an open access basis without restriction.
All materials digitized from CRL collections can be discovered through CRL’s online catalog.
Selected distinct collections are listed on CRL’s Digital Collections page. The materials are discoverable in WorldCat and various web-scale library discovery services.
Digital Delivery
CRL generates millions of digitized pages each year from print and microform collections, primarily in response to suggestions and requests from our member libraries.
Collaborative Digitization
CRL supports digitization of materials held by CRL and other institutions that are identified by member librarians as providing useful research materials for area and international studies.
Access and Permitted Uses
CRL's digital files are for personal educational and research purposes only. Various additional rights restrictions on the original source materials may apply.
Technical Specifications
CRL creates derivative digital files for access purposes from the best available copies. In almost every instance, original source materials, whether paper or microform, are retained and available for rescanning when necessary and appropriate.
Record Loading Services
CRL catalog records are available to CRL members and their consortia. These records can be loaded into local catalogs for direct searching by your users. The records are available at no charge with quarterly updates.
Records can be downloaded directly from CRL through a dedicated ftp site. For ftp downloads, we can provide customized record sets, such as digital content only or newspaper titles. We can also control the file size to suit member's needs. Our records are provided in either UTF-8 or MARC format. Please contact our Record Loading Team for more information.
Library vendors also offer our records through their products and services. Our records are found in Ex Libris’ Primo Central knowledgebase, the ProQuest Summon knowledgebase, EBSCO Discovery Services and OCLC record sets. Tor vendor records, contact the vendor to learn how to include CRL records in your implementation.
Microform Sales
The Center for Research Libraries sells microform copies of current and retrospective newspaper titles to researchers and libraries.
These lists detail what titles are available for purchase:
- Newspapers–Currently Received
- Newspapers–Noncurrent
- CCC Camp Newspapers
Prices for microform copies are at cost for CRL members. Non-members pay an additional handling fee that covers our costs for providing this film. Postage is a separate charge. Please contact Access initiatives or call (773) 955-4545 ext. 267 for a price quote. Please include the title and range of years. Note that it may take several months to receive your copies.
Linda Hall Library Partnership with CRL
The partnership between CRL and the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology (LHL) began in July 2012, with the aim of preserving, expanding, and providing access to historical research collections in the fields of science, technology, and engineering (STE). CRL provides funding to LHL for services that benefit CRL’s membership.
The services provided to CRL libraries include:
- LHL will maintain the designated print collections at its Kansas City facility, ensuring proper security and climate control.
- LHL will continue subscriptions to designated serial holdings titles, in line with LHL’s budget and mutual agreement with CRL.
- Annually, LHL will deliver digital files to CRL, including issue-level holdings information for designated serial titles, to be included in the PAPR database.
- LHL provides document delivery of articles to CRL libraries through the RapidILL service.
- LHL digitizes selected STE historical journal titles not already available through HathiTrust, JSTOR, or the original publishers. On a mutually agreed schedule, CRL will transfer its holdings of serial volumes to LHL for digitization, helping to complete and enhance the designated collections. For more details, see the Collection Management Policy Executive Summary.
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Supporting Discovery of CRL Resources
CRL makes 1.4 million records available through its catalog, in OCLC’s Worldcat, but getting the records in front of patrons can still be a challenge. CRL offers opportunities and strategies to maximize resource exposure for your patrons.
Web Discovery Systems
CRL records are also available in WorldCat and the major web scale discovery services. To make CRL records available through a discovery service, libraries must subscribe to the CRL database. To enable a direct link from the web discovery systems, in order to view a CRL eResource or to request CRL physical items via a local ILL form, libraries must also adjust local configurations.