ARL (Association of Research Libraries)

ARL (Association of Research Libraries)
Name	Association of Research Libraries
Founded	1932
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Membership	Research libraries in North America

ARL (Association of Research Libraries) is a nonprofit organization representing large research libraries in North America and serving as a convener for collaboration among academic, national, and special libraries. It coordinates collective action on issues related to scholarly communication, preservation, digital infrastructure, and access, interacting with institutions such as Library of Congress, Harvard University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University. ARL's activities intersect with entities like National Science Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States National Archives, and Institute of Museum and Library Services.

History

Founded in 1932, ARL emerged from discussions among librarians at institutions including Princeton University, Cornell University, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology about cooperative collection development and interlibrary loan. Early partnerships linked ARL with initiatives led by American Library Association, Library of Congress, American Council on Education, Council on Library Resources, and philanthropic support from Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Over decades ARL responded to technological shifts such as the advent of Online Computer Library Center, the rise of the Internet Archive, the development of MARC standards, and collaboration with National Endowment for the Humanities on preservation projects. ARL's history includes engagement with national policy forums like White House Science Advisor, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and international dialogues involving UNESCO and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Membership and governance

ARL's membership comprises research libraries affiliated with universities such as University of Michigan, Stanford University, University of Toronto, McGill University, and University of British Columbia, as well as national institutions like Library and Archives Canada and specialized entities such as New York Public Library. Governance structures reference practices at organizations like Association of American Universities, Council on Library and Information Resources, Big Ten Academic Alliance, and board models used by Smithsonian Institution and British Library. Decision-making has involved leaders who served at institutions including Princeton University Library, Harvard College Library, and administrative offices analogous to Office of Management and Budget and boards comparable to Governing Boards of Universities.

Programs and initiatives

ARL administers cooperative programs resonant with projects at HathiTrust, Portico, Digital Public Library of America, LOCKSS Program, and digital preservation efforts linked to National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. Initiatives address open scholarship via collaborations akin to Open Knowledge Foundation, Creative Commons, SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition), and partnerships with publishers such as Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis. ARL convenes working groups similar to those in Council on Library and Information Resources, funds fellowships comparable to Katz Center Fellowships, and runs training aligned with programs at OCLC and Association for Information Science and Technology.

Research and publications

ARL produces statistical series and analyses paralleling surveys by National Center for Education Statistics, Association of American Universities Data Exchange, and reports used by American Association of Universities, Institute for Higher Education Policy, and Pew Research Center. Publications discuss topics explored by scholars at MIT Media Lab, Oxford Internet Institute, Harvard Kennedy School, and Columbia University Libraries and reference standards promulgated by International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and National Information Standards Organization. Research outputs inform stakeholders including Provosts at University of Pennsylvania, deans at University of Texas, and administrators at California Digital Library.

Advocacy and policy

ARL engages in advocacy on issues such as copyright reform debated before bodies like the United States Congress, United States Copyright Office, Canadian Heritage Committee, and international forums including World Intellectual Property Organization. Policy work parallels efforts by Educause, SPARC Europe, Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, and legal advocacy seen in cases at the Supreme Court of the United States and panels convened by Federal Communications Commission. ARL collaborates with research funders such as National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on open access mandates, data management policies, and licensing frameworks related to publishers like Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.

Organizational structure and finances

ARL's organizational model reflects nonprofit frameworks used by entities like American Library Association, Association of American Universities, and Council on Library and Information Resources, with funding streams from member dues, grants from foundations including Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York, and contracts with agencies such as National Science Foundation and Institute of Museum and Library Services. Financial oversight practices echo standards promoted by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, governance audits similar to Government Accountability Office reviews, and strategic planning comparable to universities like University of Chicago and Duke University.

Category:Library organizations