Libraries

Libraries

The Libraries of the Big Ten Academic Alliance are aligned in the vision of uniting our separate collections into one collection, shared and fully networked: the BIG Collection. By this phrase we mean a holistic and comprehensive understanding of what a library "collection" is: not simply the things we hold, but our services; our people; our expertise; our technology; and our infrastructure.

In advancing this future of interdependence and excellence, we are guided by our North Star in everything that we do:

In order to advance a just, trustworthy, scalable & sustainable open knowledge ecosystem, make open, more equitable scholarship our lead purpose.

On these pages, you'll find more about the services, programs, and community that are advancing this vision in a principles-centered, mission-driven, values-aligned way.

web accessibility
Library Accessibility Group webinar: Revised ADA Title II in the Library
The slides and recording from the webinar on August 27, 2024 are now available.
Academy Owned Scholarly Publishing Landscape Report
Launched in the fall of 2022, the Big Ten Academic Alliance [BTAA] landscape assessment of academy owned scholarly publishing activities explores the shared challenges and opportunities facing publishing programs and operations within the Big Ten institutions.
big ten open books
Big Ten Open Books
Big Ten Open Books connects readers everywhere to fully accessible, trusted books from leading university presses. Established as a new model for open-access publishing focused on equity and inclusion, we invite you to explore our Gender and Sexuality studies collection.
BIG Collection: Resource Access Policy Harmonization Report
The Resource Access Policy Harmonization pilot team is pleased to share their final report. Aspirational in nature, the report includes the new BTAA Resource Sharing Agreement plus Scanning Standards; reaffirms the Principles and Protocols for Sharing Special Collections within the Big Ten; and articulates important next steps for future pilot projects and working group investigations.

Library News

Center for Library Initiative’s Shared Print Repository Holds Three Miles of Journals (So You Don’t Have To)

Aug 13, 2014, 10:05 AM

There are many, many articles predicting the death of the printed book as we rely increasingly on electronic access to information. Whatever the future of the book may be, libraries can definitively agree that history was bound in print. A lot of print.

CIC libraries together hold some 113 million items, making one of the largest collective collections in the library world. And while that means scholars have access to tons of information, it also means libraries have to house and maintain literal tons of volumes. Library collections continue to grow, despite all constraints of construction and real estate. And as students, faculty, and researchers turn increasingly to digital access to resources and dependence on collaborative library information and instruction services and work spaces, many libraries are left reevaluating how best to use their valuable campus space to serve users.

High-density book storageThe CIC’s Shared Print Repository (CIC-SPR) is one way libraries can maintain a commitment to keeping resources available while also freeing up desirable space in central campus buildings. A program of the CIC’s Center for Library Initiatives, the CIC-SPR is committed to providing print access to a shared collection of journal backfile volumes to member institutions. The first phase of this initiative is now underway, with plans for securing 250,000 volumes over five years.

The CIC-SPR stores collocated shared print volumes supplied by member libraries in a centralized storage facility. The collection includes a single print copy of widely held, seldom-used print volumes, with access assured to all fifteen CIC members and their campus affiliates. Currently some 95,000 volumes are aggregated in the host site at Indiana University, including titles supplied by Ohio State University and the University of Michigan as well as Indiana’s own contributions. Ohio State has also supplied thousands of volumes intended to fill in gaps in incomplete holdings; as other participating libraries follow suit, the CIC-SPR will compile complete runs of legacy titles. These libraries retain ownership of all items supplied to the joint collection, ensuring long-term stability and collaboration.

In the next year we will build the collection of journal backfiles, increasing the number of volumes in the repository and the number of schools providing content. The working groups and governance committees that guide the project are continuing to evaluate suitable materials for collection. Member libraries are working to help support each other in the logistical challenges of making the content known to library staff and to library patrons. And we are continuing to look for more efficient ways to analyze and compare the collections of such a large multi-institutional collection.

The 95,000 volumes we’ve retained so far amount to an estimated 15,833 feet of shelf space. That’s three miles of volumes committed to shared availability. With the CIC-SPR to provide reliable access for older items, libraries may be able to reduce duplication in their own collections, increasing space for instructional spaces and computers and collaborative services. Or even for more print volumes—as long as the printed book isn’t dead by then.

More information, including policies and recent updates, can be found atwww.cic.net/projects/library/shared-print-repository/.