Council on Library and Information Resources

Council on Library and Information Resources
Name	Council on Library and Information Resources
Formation	1977
Founder	Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Alvin C. Platt (executive)
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Leader title	President
Leader name	Carla Hayden

Contents

Council on Library and Information Resources is an independent nonprofit organization that supports research, preservation, and innovation among libraries, archives, and cultural heritage institutions. It works with major institutions such as Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and Records Administration, and universities including Harvard University and Stanford University to advance digital stewardship, scholarly communication, and information infrastructure. Its activities intersect with initiatives by funders and partners such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

History

Founded in 1977 with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and early involvement from leaders associated with Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and the Library of Congress, the organization emerged during a period of transformation in libraries influenced by events like the Bicentennial of the United States and technological shifts exemplified by the rise of ARPA and the Internet. In the 1980s and 1990s it partnered with institutions such as University of California campuses, British Library, and Cornell University while responding to policy debates around Copyright Act of 1976 and international discussions tied to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Into the 21st century it expanded collaborations with organizations including Google, Microsoft, OCLC, and the Digital Public Library of America as digital preservation and open access became central concerns shaped by events like the HathiTrust formation and initiatives at the National Institutes of Health.

The organization’s mission centers on strengthening capacity among institutions such as the Library of Congress, New York Public Library, British Library, National Library of Australia, and university libraries including Columbia University and University of Michigan through programs addressing digital preservation, metadata, and scholarly communication. Programmatic efforts have included collaborations with Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, projects aligned with Open Archives Initiative, and training with professional bodies such as the American Library Association and the Society of American Archivists. It runs initiatives that intersect with standards from Dublin Core, PREMIS, and formats referenced by Internet Archive and initiatives at MIT and University of California, Berkeley.

Grantmaking has supported projects at institutions like Yale University, Princeton University, Duke University, and University of Pennsylvania as well as consortia such as Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries and regional networks akin to Horizon 2020 participants. Funders and partners historically include the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, and private philanthropies such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Grants have targeted digitization projects similar to work by Project Gutenberg, preservation efforts comparable to those of The National Archives (UK), and training programs like those promoted by Council of Independent Colleges.

Partnerships span cultural institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Getty Research Institute, and international bodies like the European Commission and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Advocacy work aligns with policy conversations involving the Library of Congress, United States Congress, and agencies such as the National Science Foundation on issues related to access, preservation, and interoperability, and has engaged with stakeholders like Creative Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, and Open Knowledge Foundation. Collaborative projects have involved technological partners such as Google Books, OCLC, Internet Archive, and research libraries at Oxford University and Cambridge University.

Governance has typically involved boards composed of leaders from Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Princeton University, and representatives from major libraries including the Library of Congress and New York Public Library. Senior staff and presidents have had relationships with academic leadership at institutions like Yale University and philanthropic organizations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Carnegie Corporation. The organization coordinates with consortia such as HathiTrust and professional associations including the American Library Association and Society of American Archivists to align strategy and operations.

Notable projects and impacts include work parallel to digitization programs like HathiTrust and initiatives with the Internet Archive, contributions to metadata and preservation standards used by WorldCat and repositories at Stanford University and University of California, and capacity-building efforts resembling programs from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It has influenced practices at national institutions such as the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration and informed collaborations with research funders including the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Science Foundation. Through grants and convenings, it has shaped efforts related to open access movements associated with SPARC, cultural heritage digitization activities like those at the British Library, and infrastructure dialogues involving OCLC and the Digital Public Library of America.