The Center for Research Libraries [1] (CRL) offers excellent resources in literature, history, and cultural studies from a number of Francophone countries. The goals of the Global Resources Network [2] (GRN) focus on facilitating and enriching access to international collections. By joining the Global Resources Network of the Center for Research Libraries, CIFNAL engages in a collaborative partnership that promises to make a wider range of information resources and to support and strengthen scholarship in Francophone studies. Following its participation in the Conference of the Association Internationale Francophone des Bibliothécaires et Documentalistes [3] (AIFBD) in August 2008, CIFNAL began to develop collaborative relationships with Francophone partners outside of North America.
The name of the body is the CIFNAL: Collaborative Initiative for French Language Collections/Collectif international des fonds documentaires en langue française. CIFNAL is an unincorporated association, with the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) acting in the capacity of fiscal and legal agent.
The purpose of CIFNAL is to improve access to French and francophone resources for North American libraries and to North American resources for francophone libraries; promote collaboration and resource sharing among North American libraries; make collections more interconnected; promote collaboration and resource sharing between North American and francophone libraries.
Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by any Institutional Member of CIFNAL. Amendments must be submitted in writing and shall be considered by the Member Representatives at the next membership meeting. A simple majority vote ensures the placement of the proposed amendment on a mail ballot.
Amendments to the bylaws shall be conducted by mail or electronic ballot. A proposed amendment is considered adopted if it receives a two-thirds affirmative vote from voting Member Representatives. The Chair shall arrange to add the adopted amendment to the official copies of the bylaws.
These bylaws shall come into force upon adoption by a two-thirds affirmative vote from voting Institutional Members.
The CIFNAL project began with a March 2004 resolution of the International Conference “Migrations, Society, Culture, and the Library,” sponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries Western European Studies Section (ACRL-WESS) in Paris. Encouraged by successful models in GRN’s global projects, the Ad Hoc Committee of ACRL-WESS [9] established a working group in June 2004 to address the challenges of increasingly interconnected global cultures and the resultant demand for access to print and electronic French-language resources irrespective of borders. Although interest in all Francophone areas of the world is strong, the group decided to concentrate initially on establishing contacts with partners in France.
The group put forward a set of strategic goals and detailed plans to launch activities in three areas: establish collaborative activities among French and North-American libraries; identify French institutional partners; and explore potential sources of funding to support cooperative activities. The Global Resources Network Advisory Committee endorsed the Ad Hoc Committee’s proposal in March 2005.
A steering committee was created in fall 2005 and charged with setting out the agenda and development plan for the project: Sarah Wenzel (chair), Tom Kilton (past chair), Jeffry Larson (French Partners Working Group coordinator), Sarah Sussman (Potential Sources of Funding Working Group coordinator), and Kati Radics (Goals Working Group coordinator).
CIFNAL [10] incorporated at the 2006 meeting of the American Library Association with the approval of a mission statement and bylaws.
Some of CIFNAL’s early activity included the establishment of the Bibliothèque Bleue [11] project, licensing of French-language databases for its members and participation in the August 2008 AIFBD conference in Montreal [12].
Claude Potts of the University of California, Berkeley gave a presentation about CIFNAL's history at the October 2017 event "New Directions for Libraries, Scholars, and Partnerships: an International Symposium [13]". His presentation is available at https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74v8z194 [14]
The Global Resources Network [16], based at the Center for Research Libraries [17], welcomes the active participation of North American and Francophone libraries wishing to further the goals of CIFNAL.
CRL asks that a library formally join the project if one or more of its staff are interested in participating in CIFNAL activities and in furthering its goals. The level of involvement depends on the degree to which individual institutions wish to devote staff resources to furthering the goals of the project. As with any collaborative endeavor, the success of CIFNAL depends on institutional commitment and active participation.
Institutions wishing to become involved in the Cooperative Initiative for French and North American Libraries should fill out the Participant Agreement for Institutions. As of FY22, Institutional Members of CIFNAL pay an annual membership fee. The fee is U.S. $250 per year for institutions that are members of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL); the fee is U.S. $350 per year for institutions that are not CRL members.
Individuals who work at institutions that are not institutional members may join CIFNAL by filling out the Individual Participant Agreement. There is no membership fee for Individual Members of CIFNAL.
The opportunity for an institution to participate in digitizing decisions and priorities of ARTFL while supporting its growth is possible through the Sustaining Member Program [18]. Sustaining institutions will also be given the texts digitized under this program.
To learn more about CIFNAL, please contact Marlies Bauhofer [19].
To join the CIFNAL listserv, please e-mail Marlies Bauhofer [19] with your full name, e-mail address, and institutional affiliation.
CIFNAL and ARTFL [21] have been building a strong collaborative relationship since the beginnings of CIFNAL. Early on, ARTFL donated $10,000 and gifts in kind of staff labor to digitize the Bibliothèque bleue [22].
At the 2007 Annual ALA Meeting, it was proposed that ARTFL create a new category of subscribing institutions—sustaining members—who would contribute to decision-making and prioritizing at ARTFL. These members will have input into projects, text selection, priorities for text clean-up, etc. Sustaining institutions will also be given the texts digitized under this program. In exchange, sustaining members contribute a higher fee to ARTFL when their subscriptions renew. CIFNAL will coordinate the process of soliciting and delivering feedback to ARTFL.
If your institution is interested in becoming a sustaining member, please send the signed Supplement to the existing Sustaining Member Agreement [23] to:
The ARTFL Project
Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
University of Chicago
1115 East 58th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
If you have any questions, please contact artfl[at]artfl[dot]uchicago[dot]edu [24]
Meeting Minutes and other information related to the ongoing work of CIFNAL may be found in the CIFNAL Workspace [5].
The CIFNAL Workspace is a wiki tool that members can access to review and edit or add content. It is open to CIFNAL Members only. Contact [6] the CRL representative for information on access to the Workspace.
CIFNAL shall be managed by a Steering Committee comprised of elected representatives from the membership.
The Steering Committee is empowered to conduct the business of CIFNAL in accordance with the recommendations of the membership; approve and enact project activities; discuss and recommend future policy or changes in policy to be adopted by the membership; make budgetary decisions for CIFNAL; approach funding agencies; conduct periodic membership drives; and maintain communication with scholarly and professional associations as well as with other, similar cooperative projects.
CIFNAL Chair (2023-2026): Claude Potts (University of California, Berkeley)
Secretary (2023-2026): Emma Popowich, University of Manitoba
Members-at-Large (2023-2025):
Paula Carns, University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign
Joanneke Fleischauer (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Members-at-Large (2022-2024):
Laura Martin, University of Wisconsin Madison
Jessica Grzegorski, Newberry Library
Engaging Francophone Partners Working Group Chair (2023-2025):
Hélène Huet, University of Florida
Collection Development Working Group Chair (2023-2025):
Monica Moore, University of Notre Dame
Ex Officio Member:
Marlies Bauhofer, Center for Research Libraries
CIFNAL Steering Committee Meeting Minutes and other information related to the ongoing work of the CIFNAL Steering Committee can be found in the CIFNAL Steering Committee Workspace [27]. Meeting Minutes of the CIFNAL Members Meetings and other information related to CIFNAL can be found in the CIFNAL Workspace [5]. The CIFNAL Workspaces are wiki tools that members can access to review and edit or add content. They are open only to CIFNAL Members. Contact [6] the CRL representative Marlies Bauhofer mbauhofer@crl.edu [28] for information on access to the Workspace.
Links
[1] https://www.crl.edu/
[2] https://www.crl.edu/grn/
[3] http://aifbd.org/
[4] https://www.crl.edu/grn/cifnal/current-projects/cifnal-speaker-series
[5] http://workspace.crl.edu/display/cifnal/Home
[6] https://www.crl.edu/grn/cifnal/contact-cifnal
[7] https://www.crl.edu/fr/node/6164
[8] https://www.crl.edu/fr/grn/cifnal/about-cifnal/bylaws
[9] http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Main_Page
[10] https://www.crl.edu/programs/cifnal
[11] https://www.crl.edu/grn/cifnal/current-projects/bibliotheque-bleue
[12] http://aifbd.org/congres/
[13] https://www.crl.edu/events/frankfurt2017symposium
[14] https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74v8z194
[15] https://www.crl.edu/fr/grn/cifnal/about-cifnal/history
[16] https://www.crl.edu/fr/grn
[17] https://www.crl.edu/fr
[18] https://www.crl.edu/fr/node/1175
[19] mailto:mbauhofer@crl.edu
[20] https://www.crl.edu/fr/grn/cifnal/about-cifnal/join
[21] http://artfl.uchicago.edu/
[22] https://artfl-project.uchicago.edu/node/170
[23] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/sustain_member_agreement.pdf
[24] mailto:artfl@artfl.uchicago.edu?subject=Question%20about%20Biblioth%C3%A8que%20Bleue
[25] https://www.crl.edu/fr/grn/cifnal/about-cifnal/join/sustaining-member-program
[26] https://www.crl.edu/fr/grn/cifnal/about-cifnal/meeting-minutes
[27] http://workspace.crl.edu/display/cifnalsc/Home
[28] mailto:mbauhofer@crl.edu?subject=Access%20to%20the%20CIFNAL%20Workspace
[29] https://www.crl.edu/fr/grn/cifnal/about-cifnal/steering-committee