Global Collections Committee (GCC) Acquisitions Program
CRL collection development includes selective purchase of physical materials as determined by our collection development policy and advisory of our Global Collections Committees. One-time or firm order purchases are single discrete purchases of items or a collection of items, often in print format such as paper or microfilm. Subscriptions are generally annual payments for material released over a certain period, such as an annual subscription to a newspaper or journal. Standing orders are like a subscription in that material is released over time, but may be released irregularly, and rather than paying for the multiple parts in advance, each volume comes with an invoice. Gifts and donations from non-CRL members are subject to the collection development policy but may also be incorporated into a project proposal.
GCC Purchase Proposal Guidelines: One-Time
The vision of CRL is "...a world in which the research library community harnesses collective action and the power of the CRL network to cooperatively build, steward, and share accessible and sustainable collections to advance the creation of knowledge."
One tool we use is to purchase to products and collections that are desirable enhancements to the collections of our members: few of our members own them, they are not readily available through interlibrary loan, and there is a broad anticipated researcher need.
The Acquisitions Program permits member libraries to recommend microform and print collections for CRL purchase that meet the following criteria.
Also, GCC can make purchase requests for collection material within their budget.
Scope and Eligibility
- Must align with budget, scope, and collection guidelines.
- Focus on unique or hard-to-find materials not held by 5+ CRL members.
- One-time purchase only; no ongoing costs (e.g., hosting fees).
- Materials must follow standard CRL processing and preservation.
- Must be a collection, series, or multi-title run (not single-volume).
- MARC records preferred; local metadata considered if capacity allows.
Funding and Support
CRL supports purchase proposals that meet the following guidelines:
- Proposals may be grouped into ongoing, prioritized purchase programs.
- Approvals depend on available funding within the fiscal year’s budget.
- Larger or complex proposals may be planned over multiple years.
- The program will adapt to evolving needs and usage.
GCC Purchase Proposal Guidelines: Continuations or Subscriptions
The vision of CRL is "...a world in which the research library community harnesses collective action and the power of the CRL network to cooperatively build, steward, and share accessible and sustainable collections to advance the creation of knowledge."
One tool we use is to subscribe to titles that are desirable enhancements to the collections of our members: few of our members own them, they are not readily available through interlibrary loan, and there is a broad anticipated researcher need.
The Acquisitions Program permits member libraries to recommend microform and print collections for CRL purchase that meet the following criteria.
Also, GCC can make ongoing order purchase requests for collection material within their projected budget.
Scope and Eligibility
- Must align with CRL’s budget, scope, and collection guidelines
- Should focus on unique or hard-to-find materials
- Must be a collection, series, or multi-title run (not single-volume)
- May include subscriptions for physical materials processed under standard procedures
- One-time purchases with ongoing costs (e.g., hosting) are discouraged but may be considered if preservation is included (e.g., self-hosting)
- MARC records preferred; local metadata support considered based on capacity
Funding and Support
CRL will support subscription purchase proposals within these guidelines:
- Projected annual materials budgets will cover both ongoing commitments, planned firm order expenditures, and project funding.
- These commitments will be subject to ongoing annual review and approval.
- Proposal approvals may be aggregated or delayed as part of an ongoing program of planned purchases.
- The program will evolve in response to changing needs and usage.
How to Submit Aquisition Proposals
TBD
How Submissions are Reviewed
- Submissions are accepted on an ongoing basis
- A committee (TBD) will review proposals annually each Spring.
- Priority goes to proposals addressing known collection gaps (assessment forthcoming).