CARL plays a key role in advancing the preservation of Canada’s scholarly record—both print and digital—by fostering national discussions, supporting collaborative efforts, and developing strategic initiatives.
Coordinated Preservation of Print Copies
CARL has been actively involved in shared print preservation efforts to ensure long-term content retention and access, particularly for Canadian materials.
- North: The Canadian Shared Print Network (2022) coordinates regional shared print initiatives and extends participation to libraries not yet in a shared print program. Sponsored by national organizations, North facilitates the consolidation and retention of print collections.
- Canadian Collective Print Strategy Working Group (2018-2020) was formed by CARL and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to develop a national strategy for collective print preservation. View their Final Report (2020).
- @Risk North (2017) Summit brought together stakeholders to discuss the challenges of shared print preservation, laying the groundwork for future initiatives.
- Earlier Initiatives: CARL has a long-standing history in print preservation, including the 2011 publication of a model for permanent conservation and participation in LAC’s Last Copies initiative.
Digital Preservation
CARL supports the long-term stewardship of Canada’s digital scholarly record through national working groups, coalitions, and summits.
- Digital Preservation Working Group (DPWG) (established in 2016) brings together experts from academic libraries, archives, and related organizations to assess digital preservation capacity and develop strategies and training opportunities.
- Canadian Web Archiving Coalition (CWAC), now inactive, an initiative of the DPWG, focuses on preserving Canadian web-based content.
- @Risk North 2 (2018, Montréal) built on the discussions from the first summit, with a stronger focus on digital preservation challenges and strategies.
- @Risk North 3 (2024, Gatineau) continued this national conversation, bringing together stakeholders to address evolving digital preservation needs and collaborative approaches. Read the full report here.
Government Information Preservation
Libraries and archives play a vital role in preserving government information, but challenges such as data scale, digital fragility, and stewardship costs threaten its longevity.
- The Leviathan North meeting (2015), inspired by the Center for Research Libraries‘ (CRL) 2014 Leviathan meeting, co-sponsored by CARL and CRL, gathered stakeholders to discuss challenges and collaboration in preserving government information. View the Final Report on Leviathan North (2015).
Theses and Dissertations Preservation
CARL members work collaboratively to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of Canadian theses and dissertations:
- Institutional repositories at CARL libraries collect and retain students’ theses and dissertations.
- Theses Canada, a partnership between LAC and nearly 70 universities, aggregates these works into a national collection, available in both microfiche and digital formats.
