2026
CRKN Virtual Conference: Creative Collaborations, Collective Momentum
Virtual
May 12 - 14, 2026
Infrastructure Through Collaboration: Shared Print Capacity in Canadian Libraries
Thursday May 14, 2026
From 2:45pm to 3:00pm
The North/Nord Shared Print Network brings together Canadian libraries to advance cross-institutional projects that protect, preserve, and provide fair access to Canada’s scholarly and cultural record. Grounded in collaboration, the network supports responsible and sustainable collection management through collective approaches to the long-term stewardship of print materials—recognizing print as a foundational layer for digital access, preservation, and discovery.
Through shared infrastructure and coordinated workflows, North/Nord enables libraries to move beyond institution-by-institution decision-making toward a distributed, national approach to stewardship. Participating institutions collaborate on projects that support shared retention commitments, improve discovery and visibility of retained materials, and align print stewardship with evolving digital research practices. These efforts reduce duplication, strengthen trust, and ensure that collectively held collections remain accessible to current and future generations of researchers.
This work plays a critical role in reducing institutional risk by distributing responsibility for long-term preservation across a trusted network, while simultaneously strengthening local autonomy by allowing libraries to make informed, mission-aligned collection decisions within a shared framework. At a national level, the network enhances the visibility and discoverability of Canadian research and cultural materials, supporting equitable access and reinforcing Canada’s research infrastructure.
This talk will highlight North/Nord’s shared print initiatives, demonstrating how collaborative networks function as essential infrastructure—sustaining print collections, supporting digital futures, and advancing resilient, values-driven stewardship across Canada’s library community.
Speakers
Network Coordinator
North/Nord Shared Print Network/Council of Prairie and Pacific Libraries’ Shared Print Archive Network (SPAN)