See also Vision & Mission and Strategic Directions
About the Shared Print Partnership
The Shared Print Partnership is a federation of monograph and serial shared print programs across the United States and Canada. The mission of the Partnership is to advance the sustainability, accessibility, and preservation of shared print collections and infrastructure through collective action, collaboration, and advocacy, ensuring enduring access and preservation of critical research materials for the global academic community.
The Council on Library & Information Resources (CLIR) serves as the administrative and fiscal host of the Shared Print Partnership.
Background
Academic and research libraries (including several research oriented public libraries) have collaborated for some time to preserve the print scholarly record, so as to ensure the efficient and effective care of physical library resources while making sure users have access to their materials.
In the late 2010s, regional and consortial shared print programs came together in format-defined federations to amplify and maximize local efforts. Founded in 2017, the Rosemont Shared Print Alliance connected serial and journal programs to one another, while the Partnership for Shared Book Collections – founded in 2019 – created a network of monograph programs.
The two federations worked in parallel for several years, communicating and collaborating often. In March 2023, the respective Executive Committees approved a recommendation to merge the two federations into one to serve both formats. A subsequently convened Task Force developed a merger plan and recommendations, which involved defining a Bridge-Year in FY 2024-25 during which the merger would be further implemented. An appointed Bridge-Year Executive Committee led the organization during the Bridge-Year synthesizing foundational documents, determining staffing needs, and setting up administrative and fiscal hosting.
As of FY 2025-26, the Partnership entered its first year as an organization with a fully articulated mission, vision, strategic directions, and an Executive Committee elected by shared print program representatives from across the United States and Canada.