Collective Action

Collective Action

CRL gives members a platform for collaboration and the tools to act on shared priorities. Our
initiatives improve discovery, inform collection development, advance shared print, and enhance
metadata across the research ecosystem. By working through CRL, members increase the impact of
their library and strengthen the broader scholarly community.

Enhancing Discovery

CRL makes our resources easy to find:

  • Our expert catalogers create high-quality records, including for materials in Slavic and select South Asian
  • languages.
  • We provide updated records every quarter, with full, customized datasets available for your local system.
  • CRL records are indexed in WorldCat and major discovery services, integrating easily into your catalog.

Supporting Data-Driven Collection Decisions

We help members make informed choices:

  • We provide free, on-demand collection comparison reports—usually within two weeks—to help
  • members strategically manage their holdings.
  • Comparison reports assess the overlap with CRL and Linda Hall Library collections and compare your
  • library to WorldCat and CRL members.
  • Comparisons are as detailed as the available data, including holdings analysis, to pinpoint specific gaps that
  • members can address to strengthen their collections.
  • CRL can help its members plan deduplication in stacks and storage facilities, in their own collections and
  • against CRL holdings, including the JSTOR archive.

Advancing Shared Print

CRL supports and strengthens the shared print landscape:

  • CRL maintains PAPR, the only free registry of shared print serials, now migrating to the TIND platform for
  • better functionality.
  • We create tools, like the free CRL Serials Validator, that help libraries clean up and verify serials metadata.v
  • We lead international shared print efforts and function as a convener through forums like PAN and the
  • PAN listserv, and major events like @Risk.vi
  • We partner with California Digital Library and HathiTrust to promote deeper collaboration and shared
  • infrastructure.

Improving Metadata for Scholarly Resources

CRL helps libraries improve the quality and coverage of their metadata:

  • CRL is leading an initiative to reduce duplicate JSTOR records in WorldCat, ensuring more accurate and
  • efficient metadata.
  • We assign ISSNs to serials that lack them, improving discoverability.
  • We provide custom metadata support on request, such as assisting a member with a retrospective
  • conversion of 95,000 records missing OCLC numbers.
  • We are also exploring a collective cataloging initiative to help members address backlogs, especially for
  • materials that require language or subject expertise.

By leveraging CRL’s metadata programs, member libraries enhance their service to researchers, optimize
their collections, and reinforce their value to their parent institutions.

Through collective action, we strengthen the global research infrastructure and expand access to critical
scholarly resources.