The CRL Licensing Program advances research access through two key programs: NERL, which was added to CRL’s programs in 2013, and Global Licensing. Together, these form a nationally recognized licensing program across a broad range of academic disciplines—with NERL’s historic emphasis on STEM and major academic publishers, plus the unique and internationally significant resources in the Global Licensing Program.
- Global Licensing offers are generally available to all members at the negotiated price, with no extra transaction fees.
- NERL offers are open to libraries with a per-agreement fee, or by joining NERL Core.
- NERL Core participants contribute a cost-share for access to all offers at the negotiated rate and can participate in governance and professional development.
Thanks to these programs, all CRL members benefit from strong collective influence in the scholarly publishing world. Our licensing team uses that power to push for an open, equitable, sustainable, and accessible knowledge marketplace.
Key Licensing Services
CRL secures top-tier license agreements with leading vendors, delivering more equitable, transparent, and sustainable pricing.
Members benefit from significant savings through collective bargaining, improving return on investment in e-resources and group deals.
CRL manages billing and payments centrally, streamlining administration while giving members greater control and efficiency.
Our members benefit from national-scale negotiated Open Access (OA) agreements that share their authors’ content globally. Current OA agreements in the CRL/NERL portfolio include: PLOS, MIT D2O, Cambridge University Press, Annual Reviews, ACM, BioOne, Elsevier Read & Publish, Sand Springer TA.
Negotiation Teams and Working Groups
- NERL offers robust professional development through active participation in negotiation teams and focused working groups.
- These opportunities build advanced negotiation skills and hands-on experience shaping the future of scholarly communication.
- Participating members have opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and knowledge-sharing with colleagues and invited experts at the forefront of the field.
- The first NERL developed the first model license for e-resources was developed at NERL and CRL continues to use and develop those licensing language terms, to set standards for equitable and flexible agreements across its portfolio of licensing activities.
NERL Governance
- NERL members have the opportunity to participate in the Steering Committee, a leadership group with a Chair, Vice Chair, and at-large members who work closely with CRL staff to ensure sustainability and efficacy for the licensing program.
- NERL Members participate in monthly Program Council meetings, where they contribute to strategic decisions on negotiations and initiatives.
- The NERL annual meeting takes place each year at the Charleston Conference offers members access to keynote speakers, direct engagement with colleagues and publishers, and valuable professional development, strengthening the professional expertise of member institutions.
Contact
Lanette Garza, Director of Licensing and Acquisitions: lgarza@crl.edu
Licensing Information: https://www.crl.edu/electronic-resources/about-crl-licensing