Institutional Membership
Eligibility for Institutional Membership
Institutional Membership is available to organizations that meet one of the following criteria:
- Institutional Members of Universities Canada, or
- Former founding members of Canadiana, specifically:
- Library and Archives Canada
- Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
- Toronto Public Library
Institutional Membership is granted by the CRKN Board of Directors on written application.
Benefits of Institutional Membership
Institutional Members of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) are part of a national network of Canadian universities and institutions committed to advancing sustainable scholarly communications and shared digital heritage infrastructure.
Institutional Members join CRKN as full members of the Corporation and participate in both CRKN’s content licensing and digital heritage programs, gaining access to the full range of member benefits and services.
Member Benefits
Collective Licensing Leadership
Institutional Members benefit from CRKN’s role as a collective negotiating body representing over 80 Canadian institutions.
Through national-scale negotiations with publishers, CRKN works to:
- Achieve sustainable pricing and licensing terms
- Advance Canadian research priorities in publisher agreements
- Support the transition toward open and equitable models of scholarly communication
This coordinated approach supports sustainable pricing and ensures that negotiations with publishers reflect the needs of the Canadian research community. By participating in governance and advisory structures, Institutional Members have the opportunity to directly help shape the licensing strategies that meet community needs.
- Learn more about the publishers whose content we negotiate and license for our members.
How it works: Members do not participate in any licenses by default, but choose which licenses they would like to participate in; CRKN negotiates the cost and terms of the licenses.
Digital Heritage Content and Research Infrastructure
Institutional Members also benefit from CRKN’s leadership in digitization, preservation, and access to Canada’s documentary heritage through collective ownership of the Canadiana Collections and Infrastructure.
Through CRKN’s digital heritage programs, members receive:
- Priority access to digitization, preservation, and hosting services
- Opportunities to contribute content to Canadiana
- Long-term stewardship of Canadian research and heritage materials through shared infrastructure
Community of Practice
Institutional Members join a pan-Canadian network committed to open scholarship, shared stewardship, and the long-term sustainability of research and heritage infrastructure.
Institutional Members gain access to CRKN’s member listservs and member-only website content, supporting collaboration, knowledge sharing, and engagement across the library, research, and heritage sectors.
Governance and Strategic Influence
Institutional Membership includes full participation in CRKN’s governance and strategic direction.
Institutional Members:
- Attend and participate in the annual Member Summit and AGM
- Hold voting rights at the Annual General Meeting
- Are eligible to serve on the CRKN Board of Directors
- Participate in committees, task groups, and advisory bodies
- Help guide CRKN’s priorities across licensing, open access, infrastructure, and heritage initiatives
Events and Professional Learning
Institutional Members benefit from priority member rates for CRKN’s annual conference and other events that support professional development and sector-wide collaboration.
How the Application Process Works
Step 1: Connect with CRKN
Prospective Institutional Members will contact CRKN before applying at info@crkn.ca.
This conversation allows us to:
- Confirm alignment between your institution’s priorities and CRKN’s services
- Discuss the scope and value of membership
- Review financial considerations and answer any questions about CRKN
This step helps ensure that membership is both strategically relevant and financially viable for your institution.
Step 2: Submit an Application
Eligible institutions submit a completed Application for Institutional Membership to CRKN.
The application must be signed by the institution’s President or Executive Head and include a designated Primary Member Contact (typically a University Librarian, Director, or equivalent).
Step 3: Board Review and Confirmation
- Applications are presented to the CRKN Board of Directors
- The Board reviews and confirms Institutional Membership
- Once approved, the institution is formally welcomed as an Institutional Member
Membership Fees and Governance
Institutional Members are required to pay an annual membership and heritage content access and preservation (HCAP) fees, as determined by resolution of the CRKN Board of Directors. CRKN uses a banding system to provide a relative measure of comparison of research and teaching intensity among consortium members and to give content vendors a consistent basis for setting prices. The banding system is also used to determine annual membership fees.
Institutional Members:
- Receive notice of all meetings of Members
- Hold voting rights in accordance with CRKN’s by-laws
- May nominate and elect representatives to CRKN’s Board and committees
For full details on membership categories, rights, responsibilities, and governance, please refer to the CRKN General By-laws.