Overview

CRL is committed to the past, present, and future of international collections and collecting. In 2023, the CRL community convened to begin to weave the activities of our area studies programs together into a holistic strategy aligned with CRL's core mission to cooperatively build, preserve, and share global collections and content. This foundational work sets the stage for continued engagement well beyond 2024, as our unique member community reinvests in and scales its global collections activities in service to research and scholarship.

Thank you to the AMP and GRN members, to the leaders of our member libraries, and to the staff of CRL. Change is often challenging but the time spent and the high-level of participation across all levels of our organizations has led to a robust proposal that offers support for our work in a committee structure that is flexible, sustainable, and provides room for our programs to grow with strong central support. Truly this proposal is the product of mindful convergence, demonstrating the resiliance and progressive positioning of collaborative organizations in the 21st century! 

On this page, we will update the FAQ as questions come in about the proposal, and below are links to register for office hour conversations with members of the Task Force about the process. 

 

Report from the Task Force

• Click here for a PDF copy of the Task Force Report, submitted to the Board of Directors, 09/05/2024

Office Hours

• Meet with Kevin and a member of the Task Force (zoom registration link)

  Kevin and a member of the Task Force are available for questions and comments about the report

• Meet with Kevin Merriman, Director of Global Collections (zoom registration link)

  Kevin hosts office hours for questions and conversations about CRL Collections

Information

• Frequently Anticipated Questions about the Global Collections Committees (updated 09 Oct)
• Frequently Asked Questions about the Task Force

News

• Weekly Message from the Director of Global Collections, Archive

• Update from the CRL Global Collections Advisory Task (April 2024)

• CRL Global Collections Advisory Task Force Established (February 2024)
  • Task Force Charge 
  • Advisory Task Force Community Notes
     
• Kevin Merriman Named CRL Director of Global Collections (November 2023)
   
• CRL Board Announcement on Strengthening Global Collections (November 2023)
   

Past Events

• Open Period for Community Review and Comment: CRL Global Collections Sustainability Model (October 2023)

• Community Convening—Phases 2 & 3: Impact and Sustainability Models (September 28, 2023)
  • View the event recording here.
  • View the presentation slides here, including a summary of acronyms used.
     
• Impact Model for CRL Global Collections development (August 2023)

• Open Period for Community Review and Comment: CRL Global Collections Impact Model (July 2023)

• Community Convening—Phase 1: Discovery & Landscape Assessment (May 2023)
  • View the event recording here.
  • Review presentation slides here.
     
• Keynote: "CRL and the Postcolonial Knowledge Commons: From Call to Action to Community Practice" - Greg Eow, CRL President (April 2023)
• President's Report: State of the Consortium - Greg Eow, CRL President (April 2023)

More to come on 2024 activities

Contact

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Kevin Merriman, CRL Director of Global Collections, at kmerriman@crl.edu.