Research Collections

CARL’s members play a key role in helping a majority of Canada’s university researchers to achieve discovery and innovation by providing the library resources and services they need: about 88% of sponsored research occurs at CARL member institutions. CARL libraries collectively manage collections of over 43 million books and 1.3 million periodical titles (whether paper or electronic)—among many other resources—in support of research, teaching, and learning.

CARL member libraries also hold vast collections of research collections in print format constituting a vital national resource, which must be preserved for current and future generations of scholars.


Electronic Theses and Dissertations


Special Collections

  • Special Collections in Canadian Libraries (Program held at the  CARL Annual General Meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, May 20, 2010.)
  • Taking our Pulse: The OCLC Research Survey of Special Collections and Archives (October 2010, PDF)
  • Special Collections in ARL Libraries: A Discussion Report from the ARL Working Grop on Special Collections (March 2009, PDF)


CARL Permanent Conservation of Print Collections Working Group

The CARL PCPC Working Group (established in the fall of 2009) held consultations with regional library consortia to glean an understanding of the best practices for the management and dispositioning of certain print materials, for example, to offsite print repositories in the case of less frequently consulted print documents. The Working Group sought to bring a national voice to print repository management, and produced a report and some recommendations around best practices concerning print research collections preservation.

  • Final recommendations (April 2011, PDF)


Regional Research Collections Preservations Initiatives

The COPPUL Private LOCKSS Network is a program that utilizes the LOCKSS digital preservation system as a means to archive collections of local interest to members of COPPUL that are not being preserved through any other means. Digital materials such as small university press publications, open access journals, born digital government publications, and other electronic journal collections that are at risk of being lost are being preserved as part of the program.

Since 1967, OCUL members have been committed to leveraging resources for the joint purchase of academic resources and to ensuring responsible stewardship of research collections. OCUL is committed to preserve Ontario academic collections, both print and digital.