More than 260 college, university, and independent research libraries in the U.S., Canada, and Hong Kong are members of the Center for Research Libraries. These libraries work together to identify, preserve and acquire critical evidence and documentation for advanced research and teaching, and their researchers in turn benefit from CRL collections and services. 

Not a member? Find out how to join CRL and enjoy all of these benefits.

CRL Membership Benefits

• Unlimited access to a collection of approximately five million items, including the largest circulating collection of newspapers in North America, more than 38,000 foreign journals and 800,000 foreign dissertations rarely held in U.S. libraries, and major microfilm and paper collections from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and more
• Project-length loan privileges
• Digital Delivery: Materials scanned in response to loan requests
• Cost savings through cooperative collection programs and services
• Third-day delivery on the vast majority of interlibrary loans
• Demand Purchases: Enables patrons to request purchases up to $2,000 annually in three areas:  foreign dissertations, newspapers, and archival materials
• Ability to load CRL catalog records or subsets to local catalog or system at no charge (includes periodic updates)
• Free participation in CRL collection Webinars, workshops, and forums
• Individualized resource searches available through CRL’s User Services Liaison
• Web consultations to optimize user access to the CRL catalog
• Free subscription to The Charleston Advisor
• Participation in JSTOR, ICON, print archiving, and other CRL activities and partnerships.