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Introduction: What is Shared Print?

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Shared print is a collaborative strategy in which libraries commit to retaining and preserving print collections across institutions. It ensures long-term access to scholarly content while enabling individual libraries to manage space and resources effectively. For law libraries, shared print supports the continued availability of historical and legacy legal materials that may no longer be widely held but remain critical for legal scholarship, precedent research, or archival completeness.

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For more background:

 

Key Concepts for Law Libraries

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  • Scope: Focus on primary legal materials, treatises, state and federal reporters, administrative codes, law reviews, and secondary sources.

  • Retention Periods: Align with legal research timelines and jurisdictional obligations, which are often longer than typical academic materials.

  • Access: Define protocols for scan-on-demand, interlibrary loan, and onsite access for retained items.

 

Storage Models

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  1. On-site Open/Closed Stacks

  2. Consortial Repositories

  3. Third-party Storage Vendors (e.g., ReCAP)

 

Building a Program: Governance Framework

 

Use a governance structure that ensures equitable input, oversight, and accountability:

  • Steering Committee: Representatives from each participating law library.

  • Working Groups: Thematic teams (Metadata, Risk Management, Access).

  • Administrative Coordinator: Manages communication and documentation.

 

Decision-Making & Operations

  • Consensus-Seeking with a fallback on voting (one vote per institution).

  • Minimum Commitments: Define volumes and years of retention.

  • Cataloging: Use standardized metadata practices, e.g., OCLC 583 field.

 

Implementation Phases

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  • Initial Planning

    • Identify partners (geography, specialization, affiliation).

    • Assess needs: overlap, space, digital redundancy.

    • Define principles: access, preservation, equity.

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  • Agreement Development

    • Draft MOUs.

    • Define title selection criteria.

    • Choose metadata standards and access terms.

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  • Operationalization

    • Sign agreements.

    • Catalog retained holdings (e.g., GreenGlass).

    • Register in shared systems (e.g., PAPR, OCLC).

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  • Maintenance & Review

    • Annual audits and status reports.

    • Update policies.

    • Share changes and challenges across the network.

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  • Exit & Contingency Planning

    • Formal withdrawal notice.

    • Succession planning.

    • Transfer/deaccession protocols.

 

Best Practices

  • MOUs & Assessment

  • Policy Development

  • Collection Scope Definition

  • Metadata Disclosure

  • Retention Period Planning

  • Geographic Distribution

 

Common Pitfalls

  • Inadequate documentation.

  • Lack of clear retention metadata.

  • Misaligned expectations across institutions.

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Law libraries embarking on shared print initiatives should tailor governance, access, and retention policies to the unique needs of legal collections. Using existing best practices and engaging with the broader community ensures programs are sustainable and equitable.

Best Practices for Collaborative Print Retention Agreements

1 / Governance Agreement

This document provides a structure to guide law libraries entering into shared print retention arrangements. It establishes governance principles, decision-making procedures, roles, and operational protocols to ensure equitable, long-term stewardship of legal print materials. The framework emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and preservation, and includes an implementation checklist covering planning, agreement development, operationalization, maintenance, and exit strategies. It is intended to support coordinated efforts among institutions to manage and provide enduring access to shared print legal collections.

2 / Print Program Management

This document outlines tiered best practices for managing shared print programs, focusing on policy development, communication, strategic alignment, and DEI integration. It offers guidance for both programs and participating libraries, to promote transparency, engagement, and sustainability in shared print initiatives.

3 / Succession Planning

This document provides guidance to help programs and participating libraries manage leadership transitions, staff turnover, and institutional changes. It emphasizes maintaining up-to-date documentation, clear internal communication, prompt notification of changes, and collaborative planning for potential closures. Programs are encouraged to establish multiple contacts within institutions and provide onboarding support to ensure continuity and preservation of shared commitments.

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