The Shared Print Metadata Guidelines Task Force (SPMG) is pleased to share that the Shared Print Actions: Terminology for MARC 21 Field 583 is now finalized and ready for use by shared print programs and library practitioners. The Library of Congress has assigned this terminology a resource action code, spa, for use in the 583$2; LC has also added Shared Print Actions: Terminology for MARC 21 Field 583 to the Resource Action Term Source Codes page, providing a central point of access for practitioners. SPMG continues to work with the Library of Congress to add the link to the SPA terminology on additional pages.

SPMG will reconvene in 2026 to review the terminology and consider any necessary updates. In the meantime, the Best Practices Working Group is convening a subgroup to develop best practices and usage guidelines for implementing SPA in programs and at retention libraries.

The Partnership for Shared Book Collections is pleased to share that the Resource Sharing Task Force of the Research and Network Level Standing Committee has recently concluded their work and finished their final report. Please join us in issuing congratulations to the task force and a huge thank you for all of their work! 

You can read the final report here:  Resource and Network Level Resource Sharing Research Working Group Final Report

Or it can be found under the “Outputs” section of their task force description on the Research and Network Level Standing Committee page here: https://sharedprint.org/about/working-groups/research-and-network-level/

The Partnership for Shared Book Collections is pleased to share that the Risk Research Task Force of the Research and Network Level Standing Committee has recently had their paper titled, “A Model to Determine Optimal Numbers of Monograph Copies for Preservation in Shared Print Collections”, published in College and Research Libraries. Please join us in issuing congratulations to the task force and a huge thank you for all of their work! You can read the full paper for free here:

https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/26029

Many of you are aware that the Rosemont Shared Print Alliance and the Partnership for Shared Book Collections are pursuing a merger to become a single administrative body to provide unified leadership for these programs.  The two existing organizations have created an RFP to identify a consultant to lead the work of proposing how the new organization will operate.  Please see the RFP below or download a copy here: PDF of RFP.

Additionally, please share with others with whom you have worked successfully in similar consultative roles.

Overview

In the U.S.-Canada shared print community, there are two organizations that exist to coordinate the activities of individual programs that are focused on the preservation of print material held by libraries.  One organization, the Rosemont Shared Print Alliance, addresses needs related to serials and journals and the second, the Partnership for Shared Book Collections, addresses the needs of monographs or books. The two organizations, while focused on different material formats, see significant overlap in interests, concerns, leadership, and membership. A task force charged with investigating these issues recommended the merger of the two organizations. The Executive Committees of both organizations ratified the recommendation. A summit was held to clarify the purpose of the merged organization and to determine next steps toward merger, which included hiring an expert to develop business and governance models.

Goals and Deliverables

Our organizations seek a consultant to develop the structures and processes needed for the two organizations to successfully merge. Working with a small task force and a deadline of January 15, 2024, the consultant will deliver to the Executive Committee chairs a:

• Fully developed business model detailing the merged organization’s value proposition, a funding model that will support core programs and services, key resources, and key processes
• A proposal for detailed governance and organizational structures that include authority structures, processes, decision-making, allocation of resources and priority setting

Scope of Work

The selected consultant’s work will include:

• Manage the overall project to develop business and organizational models and direct the work of the merger task force
• Use existing studies to analyze the current, existing data and state of policies, procedures and other aspects of the two organizations desiring to merge
• Review current and prospective relationships
• Finalize the statement of purpose and strategy of a single, merged shared print organization
• Review financial data to set goals
• Establish business metrics for ongoing success
• Present proposed business and governance models to the Executive Committee and help establish an implementation team
• Provide ongoing support during the implementation period up to an agreed number of hours. Consultant and Executive Committees will agree on the number of hours prior to work starting

Evaluation Method

At the start of the project, the consultant and task force will determine documentation style, communication modes, milestones and milestone deliverables. Milestone deliverables will be proposed and approved by EC chairs before development work begins.

Anticipated Budget

The participating organizations are expecting fees and expenses for completion of this work to total no more than $18,000 – $20,000.

TO RESPOND TO THIS RFP

• All responses to the Request for Proposals must be delivered to nika@sharedprint.org  no later than 5pm ET on September 21, 2023.
• Questions may be submitted to (nika@sharedprint.org) by September 15, 2023; the task force will strive to respond to questions are promptly as possible.
• The contract for this work will be awarded and managed by the Center for Research Libraries.  The contract is expected to be finalized / consultant’s work to begin in early October 2023.