Our Membership Business Model
CRL is an independent, member-funded, nonprofit library services organization. Our business structure
ensures that our work stays aligned with member priorities. When we talk about “investment” throughout
this prospectus, we mean it—members are not customers, and CRL is not a vendor chasing revenue.
We are your organization, focused on maximizing the return on your contributions.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, that return comes in the form of more extensive and more reliable access to
research resources and cost-effective shared services. We also look for ways to generate second-order
benefits from our programs. For example:
- Tools we built to analyze the JSTOR archive now support free collection analysis services for members.
- Accounting systems developed for large-scale licensing now support CRL’s full range of activities with
- greater financial rigor and reliability.
We approach growth strategically. We seek institutions that align with our mission, vision, and values to
co-invest with you. A new member means increased capital to take on strategic initiatives that matter
to us all.
Membership Terms
Guided by our values of stewardship and sustainability, membership is continuous, not renewed annually.
CRL operates on a July 1–June 30 fiscal year. Members planning to resign for the fiscal year to come
must notify CRL of resignation by December 31 of the current fiscal year. This ensures that the budget
approved by members at the annual meeting is aligned with revenue projections for the forthcoming
fiscal year.
For example: if a member is active in October 2025 (fiscal 2026) and plans to resign for fiscal 2027,
resignation is due by December 31, 2025.
Full terms of membership are in the CRL bylaws. A revised set of bylaws is slated for approval at our
2025 Annual Meeting. These strengthen governance with a more robust fiduciary role for the board,
new conduct and conflict of interest policies, and significant updates to the Executive and standing committees:
- Nominating, to make sure that perspectives across the membership can be brought to the Board of
- Directors
- Budget & Finance, to bring together perspectives from the Board and membership with CRL staff and
- ensure that CRL provides year-to-year benefits to members alongside a financial plan for long-term
- sustainability.
- Audit, to provide independent scrutiny of CRL’s business practices and financial position, and to make sure
- we live up to our value of integrity.
Cost shares
Cost shares are set at 0.52% of each member’s 5-year averaged annual materials budget, a reflection of
CRL’s role as a cost-effective extension of member collections. Cost shares support:
- development and stewardship of the collections
- core licensing services
- organizational infrastructure for shared initiatives
NERL Core members pay additional dues because many institutions handle their licensing through state
or regional consortia. The planned rates are:
- $8,000 in fiscal year 2026 for CRL members, $13,000 for non-members
- $10,000 in fiscal year 2027 for CRL members, $20,000 for non-members
These are the first adjustments since CRL acquired NERL in 2013.
Fees
CRL charges program-specific fees for certain services. This allows us to generate revenue from
non-member institutions and keep costs equitable among members who use specialized services. Examples:
- NERL Affiliate fees will be $500 per license in fiscal 2026.
- CRL also licenses The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The History Makers at a 3–5% service fee available to any library or consortium.