Digital Alignment

The future of shared print can be strengthened by thoughtful alignment between print and digital collections, improving flexibility around access and format options. While digitization expands access and creates new possibilities for discovery, physical copies remain essential for preservation, authenticity, and long-term stewardship. Aligning strategies across print and digital ensures that libraries avoid unnecessary duplication while still protecting at-risk titles, particularly government documents, special collections, and other materials that may not be comprehensively captured in digital form. By integrating print retention commitments with digital surrogates, libraries can create complementary pathways that serve both access and preservation needs. This alignment not only strengthens resilience in the face of technological and financial uncertainty but also positions shared print as a bridge between traditional stewardship and the evolving digital scholarly ecosystem.