Canadian University Presses

Our first Canadian University Presses project focuses on monographs. This project identified both widely and scarcely held titles across academic and government libraries with the aim of securing retention commitments for preservation and access copies.

As a large-scale, highly complex initiative, the Canadian University Presses (CUP) project demanded substantial coordination and depth of work, and as such, timelines were appropriately extended to support a thorough and successful delivery (2023-2026). We are pleased to report that the retention lists for all of 17 participating libraries have now been distributed along with a custom Missing Items List for Library & Archives Canada. 

In addition, participants were invited to take part in a prospective shared print pilot developed exclusively for this cohort of libraries. This initiative represents a significant evolution in North/Nord’s project model, offering a strategic opportunity to pilot a more sustainable, forward-looking approach to shared print. It will enable libraries affiliated with university presses, alongside Library and Archives Canada, to formalize and scale existing collection and retention practices for Canadian university publications. Through coordinated, ongoing retention commitments under North/Nord, the model supports long-term stewardship of these materials through 2050.

List of participating libraries:

Canadian University Press Project Documentation & Agreement for Archive Holders

Canadian University Presses Amendment

Custom technical Workflow developed by North/Nord to support this project

Sincere thanks to Caitlin Tillman, University of Toronto, for her support as the Working Group Chair!