North/Nord advances its mandate through a portfolio of projects established in close collaboration with the Steering Committee (membership). Each project is guided by a team of experts representing diverse regions, institutions, and areas of knowledge across Canada, reflecting our commitment to inclusive national coordination.
North/Nord values the perspectives of our member libraries in shaping priorities for managing physical collections. To propose a new area of focus, please complete the following online form which can help guide our future projects. Through its collaborative initiatives, North/Nord seeks to confront and resolve enduring issues in library collections—particularly those that have historically limited representation, accessibility, or responsible stewardship with the ultimate gain of safeguarding Canada’s academic and cultural heritage.
There are currently five distinct projects which North/Nord is actively working through:
- Indigenous Works
- Digital Alignment
- Government Documents
- National Topographic Series Maps
- Canadian University Presses
In addition, we piloted a Researcher-in-Residence program in 2025/2026.
Researcher-in-Residence (2025-2026)
North/Nord is delighted to announce Jennifer Browning, Head of Cataloguing, Metadata, & Digitization, Carleton University Library, as our inaugural Researcher-in-Residence for 2025-2026. The North/Nord Researcher-in-Residence role supports research projects aiming to solve practical issues pertinent to shared print.
Jennifer will be researching collaboration as a strategic choice in libraries to understand the factors that enhance or impede collaborative outcomes, with a specific focus on the relationship between collaboration and technology in the context of shared print.
She will seek to answer the following research questions:
1) Are there conditions unique to North/Nord partners that may enhance or impede the outcomes of shared print projects? And how do these influence library participation and strategic collaboration?
2) What technical or administrative factors, such as access to collection analysis tools or availability of cataloguing staff, influence participation in shared print partnerships? What approaches can North/Nord take to provide solutions and enable participation?
As Canada’s national shared print network, North/Nord facilitates coordination among Canadian libraries to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of research resources by balancing traditional print preservation with innovative, pragmatic approaches such as alignment with digitization and other services and programs across Canada. This well-timed research topic supports North/Nord’s goals for organizational growth and national-level impact, as technology plays a central role in shared print programs and underpins interorganizational participation.
In her role as the 2025 Researcher-in-Residence, Jennifer will engage both within North/Nord and across partner consortial organizations, consulting broadly to inform and advance this work. Please expect to see her in some of our meetings and professional activities.
www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-browning-53b00691