SCELC embarked in 2013 on planning a collaborative shared print program for monographs. A strategic plan adopted in 2012 called for SCELC “to make concerted efforts to develop shared print programs that provide for preservation of a reasonable number of copies within defined networks, as well as mechanisms for identifying unique copies, prevalent copies, and processes to share books among member libraries.” This goal was reiterated and revised as Goal 2 of the strategic plan adopted for 2015-2018: “Promote broad availability and long-term sustainability of library collections.”
In the fall of 2016, SCELC recruited 14 members who agreed to participate in a collection analysis of their general collection circulating monographs with OCLC’s Sustainable Collections Service (SCS) and established a Shared Print Committee (SPC) to lead and guide a shared print program in conjunction with the SCELC staff and Board. In 2018, SCELC recruited a second cohort of 12 participants to the project, for a total of 26 libraries.
In 2019, SCELC's Shared Print Program was extended to CSU affiliate libraries, and an initial 6 CSU's have made retention commitments, resulting in 32 participating libraries.
As of 2020, two additional SCELC member libraries joined, for a total of 34 SCELC Shared Print libraries.
As of 2021, two additional SCELC member libraries joined, three additional CSUs joined, and the first Orbis Cascade regional library joined, for a cumulative total of 40 participating SCELC Shared Print libraries.
In 2022, one additional SCELC member libraries joined, three additional CSUs joined, and the first two Atla affiliate libraries joined, five member Minority-Serving / institutions with highly diverse enrollments joined, and the first Arizona institution joined, for a total of 50 participating SCELC Shared Print libraries.
In 2023, one SCELC member participant ceased operations, and one Atla affiliate library joined, with participation holding steady at 50 participating libraries.
In 2024, four SCELC member libraries were awarded and three decided to participate in an IMLS-funded MSI/HSI Cohort for a total of 53 participants. See the SCELC & EAST Shared Print Project Report for more information.
SPP is looking to the future.
SCELC hopes that this shared collection will grow among its members and will become a building block in the emerging national collaboration to preserve and give access to a comprehensive body of printed material.
A SHARP union catalog is currently welcoming retention commitment records and SHARP can now be integrated on request with the EBSCO discovery system. Open Library Controlled Digital Lending will be released soon. Future development to integrate SHARP with other ILL systems using Open URL is planned for FY 2025.
SCELC is a member of the Shared Print Partnership, a federation supporting cost-effective retention of and access to print book collections with the goal of ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility and integrity of these scholarly print resources. The Partnership is in the process of merging with the Serials-focused Rosemont Alliance to become the Rosemont-Partnership for Shared Print Library Collections. Additionally, SCELC is active in CRL’s Print Archive Network (PAN) Forum.