CRL is an international framework for collection development.  Knowledgeable individuals at college, university, and independent research libraries within the CRL community work together to identify, preserve, and acquire print and digital collections that support advanced research and teaching. CRL promotes these efforts by maintaining and providing access to shared collections, facilitating collaborative partnerships, and providing information to inform library and consortium investment in local collections.  

Programs and Services

Cooperative Resource Development

Extending the range of collection resources available to researchers at CRL libraries.

Collaborative Partnerships

Facilitating collaboration by supplying administrative and technical assistance to member-driven programs.

Collection Decision Resources

Promoting informed investment and acquisition decisions.

Collecting Areas

CRL’s shared collection comprises approximately five million newspapers, journals, dissertations, books, archives, government publications, and other traditional and digital resources for advanced research and teaching. Active collecting emphasizes materials produced outside the United States, especially publications and archives from many developing nations.

Collection Development Policy

CRL collects materials directly through purchase, exchange, and deposit based on established policies and guidelines authorized by CRL’s Board of Directors with the advice and recommendations of the Collections and Services Policy Committee.

Collection development policies and procedures, including a Deposit Policy, are described on relevant pages of this Web site.  Questions regarding the Collection Development Policy should be directed to mwilke [at] crl [dot] edu (Mary Wilke.)

Global Resources Partnership in Science, Technology and Engineering

The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) and the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology (LHL) have entered into a strategic partnership to preserve and develop historical research collections in the fields of science, technology, and engineering. LHL will maintain designated collections, providing document delivery and eventually (beginning 2013) interlibrary loan.