22 · Survey Results: Executive Summary
specific OCLC symbol (38% do so for some or all
items) or disclosing holdings in union catalogs. Some
programs have formal definitions for validation ser-
vices and expectations.
Although most programs do not have plans to
include collaborative purchasing or extensive, sys-
tematic digitization of print under the scope of the
shared print program, some are looking to create
more comprehensive programs notably, the Maine
Shared Collection Strategy is looking into print-on-
demand and e-book-on-demand services to support
access, and other libraries mentioned plans to work
with HathiTrust to ensure digitization, if not to per-
form such digitization themselves.
Retained Items
Journals are currently the predominant format col-
lected for group retention, with 16 of 21 shared print
programs holding journals (76%) and sometimes asso-
ciated indexes and supplements (7, or 33%). However,
monograph collections are not uncommon, with 48%
(10 of 21 programs) currently retaining monographs
and others indicating an intention to move into mono-
graphs. Other types of material collected include fed-
eral and other government documents, atlases, maps,
and other oversize print. Fewer programs (8, or 40%)
are committing to retaining any non-print formats
those formats that might be retained include micro-
form, audio and video media, computer files, maps,
and photographs, slides, or art.
Many of these programs are explicitly intended to
reduce duplication across and within institutions it is
unsurprising, then, that most archives intend to retain
a single copy (14 of 18, or 78%) or two copies (3, or 17%).
The question did not differentiate between journals
and monographs, however, and further exploration
of this topic may reveal differences in the policies
for each. Shared print programs anticipate negligible
but possible loss of items, and fewer than half of the
respondents (9, or 47%) had a policy in place to address
damage or loss.
The size of shared print collections varies widely,
from as few as 60 titles retained to 1.4 million titles
(monographic and journals) retained. Variations in the
number of libraries participating, the types of materi-
als being held, size of libraries’ individual collections,
and the overlap in holdings may affect the number of
titles kept in the archive program. Nearly all the re-
sponding programs (20 of 21) intend to increase print
retention in coming years, with most listing space as
the upper bounding factor. Additionally, nine respon-
dents (43%) indicated a plan to invest in collaborative
print acquisition, though many of these plans are in
very early stages.
Access and Discovery
None of the respondents to the shared print manag-
ers’ survey indicated that their program operated as a
dark archive, completely restricting access to retained
materials. With the often-noted exception of special
collections materials, most programs make held
items available to members and to non-members of
the agreement, though most indicate a preference for
providing access through digital surrogates. Journals
are often restricted to in-library use. Many programs
are bound by pre-existing state and other lending
networks, and many follow standard ILL processes
to make retained content accessible.
But while access is widely ensured by agreement,
making retained items discoverable is more likely
to be left to individual participants’ decisions and
capabilities. Participating libraries are made aware of
retained titles through MARC holdings records (13 of
20 responses, or 65%), through lists distributed by the
project management (11, or 55%), or through consoli-
dated ILS (4, or 20%). In addition, meta-registries such
as OCLC’s Firstsearch and WorldCat, PAPR, JRNL,
and DOCLINE are used to display retention com-
mitments to participants as well as the wider library
community. Shared print programs are somewhat
less concerned about making the retained collection
visible to library users.
Most programs (14 of 20, or 70%) indicated that
items retained on behalf of the group at a single insti-
tution appear in that institution’s OPAC slightly less
than half (8, or 40%) display holdings of that institu-
tion that are held in storage, and fewer still display
items contributed by other participants of the shared
print program. Shared print programs whose par-
ticipants otherwise constitute a distinct entity, like
state-wide library networks, may be more likely to
share standardized library systems and therefore to
specific OCLC symbol (38% do so for some or all
items) or disclosing holdings in union catalogs. Some
programs have formal definitions for validation ser-
vices and expectations.
Although most programs do not have plans to
include collaborative purchasing or extensive, sys-
tematic digitization of print under the scope of the
shared print program, some are looking to create
more comprehensive programs notably, the Maine
Shared Collection Strategy is looking into print-on-
demand and e-book-on-demand services to support
access, and other libraries mentioned plans to work
with HathiTrust to ensure digitization, if not to per-
form such digitization themselves.
Retained Items
Journals are currently the predominant format col-
lected for group retention, with 16 of 21 shared print
programs holding journals (76%) and sometimes asso-
ciated indexes and supplements (7, or 33%). However,
monograph collections are not uncommon, with 48%
(10 of 21 programs) currently retaining monographs
and others indicating an intention to move into mono-
graphs. Other types of material collected include fed-
eral and other government documents, atlases, maps,
and other oversize print. Fewer programs (8, or 40%)
are committing to retaining any non-print formats
those formats that might be retained include micro-
form, audio and video media, computer files, maps,
and photographs, slides, or art.
Many of these programs are explicitly intended to
reduce duplication across and within institutions it is
unsurprising, then, that most archives intend to retain
a single copy (14 of 18, or 78%) or two copies (3, or 17%).
The question did not differentiate between journals
and monographs, however, and further exploration
of this topic may reveal differences in the policies
for each. Shared print programs anticipate negligible
but possible loss of items, and fewer than half of the
respondents (9, or 47%) had a policy in place to address
damage or loss.
The size of shared print collections varies widely,
from as few as 60 titles retained to 1.4 million titles
(monographic and journals) retained. Variations in the
number of libraries participating, the types of materi-
als being held, size of libraries’ individual collections,
and the overlap in holdings may affect the number of
titles kept in the archive program. Nearly all the re-
sponding programs (20 of 21) intend to increase print
retention in coming years, with most listing space as
the upper bounding factor. Additionally, nine respon-
dents (43%) indicated a plan to invest in collaborative
print acquisition, though many of these plans are in
very early stages.
Access and Discovery
None of the respondents to the shared print manag-
ers’ survey indicated that their program operated as a
dark archive, completely restricting access to retained
materials. With the often-noted exception of special
collections materials, most programs make held
items available to members and to non-members of
the agreement, though most indicate a preference for
providing access through digital surrogates. Journals
are often restricted to in-library use. Many programs
are bound by pre-existing state and other lending
networks, and many follow standard ILL processes
to make retained content accessible.
But while access is widely ensured by agreement,
making retained items discoverable is more likely
to be left to individual participants’ decisions and
capabilities. Participating libraries are made aware of
retained titles through MARC holdings records (13 of
20 responses, or 65%), through lists distributed by the
project management (11, or 55%), or through consoli-
dated ILS (4, or 20%). In addition, meta-registries such
as OCLC’s Firstsearch and WorldCat, PAPR, JRNL,
and DOCLINE are used to display retention com-
mitments to participants as well as the wider library
community. Shared print programs are somewhat
less concerned about making the retained collection
visible to library users.
Most programs (14 of 20, or 70%) indicated that
items retained on behalf of the group at a single insti-
tution appear in that institution’s OPAC slightly less
than half (8, or 40%) display holdings of that institu-
tion that are held in storage, and fewer still display
items contributed by other participants of the shared
print program. Shared print programs whose par-
ticipants otherwise constitute a distinct entity, like
state-wide library networks, may be more likely to
share standardized library systems and therefore to
