This message is to share with you some good news about CRL collections and archiving.  As you know, in accordance with the strategic directions established by CRL’s Board and management in 2007 CRL has been concentrating new resources on two objectives:  1) increasing electronic access to collections in its traditional areas of focus; and 2) supporting the archiving and management of print serials in these focus areas outside the walls of CRL.   I am happy to report that CRL and the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology have entered into a strategic partnership to support both goals.  Beginning in July 2012, CRL and Linda Hall will work together to preserve and develop historical research collections in the fields of science, technology and engineering.  The partnership will build upon the rich holdings of print serials in those fields assembled by the two institutions during the past six decades.  Together, these holdings constitute a premier library of global science. 

By the end of 2012 the combined CRL and Linda Hall STE print serials will be available electronically to all CRL libraries in the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong through on-demand digitization and document delivery via the RapidILL service.  The locus of this activity will be the Linda Hall Library, where the recently expanded collections facility provides ample, optimum archival conditions for paper-based collections. 

The collections covered by the partnership include current and back issues of over 50,000 journal titles.  Given Linda Hall’s commitment to, and capacity for, preserving paper-based collections CRL libraries should be able to divest of excess copies of legacy STE serials and reduce print subscriptions to e-journals.   Smaller CRL libraries, moreover, will now have access to a significantly larger set of journal titles.  More details about this arrangement are available here.

Guiding this effort will be a Global Resources Senior Advisor for STE Collections.  The Senior Advisor for the program in 2012 will be Stephen Bosch.  Steve is a highly respected collections specialist and has been involved with various aspects of acquisitions, collection development and library administrative services during his 30+ year tenure at the University of Arizona.  He is the 2006 recipient of the American Library Association ALCTS Harrassowitz Award for Leadership in Library Acquisitions and is currently Chair of the American Library Association’s ALCTS Acquisitions Section.   

The formal announcement of the partnership is available on the CRL web site at:  http://www.crl.edu/news/8113

Planning and initial implementation of the partnership was supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It is also made possible by your participation in and support of CRL.