Shared Print Preservation in Canada

Library & Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada ensures that two copies of books, serials, music, sheet music, microforms and maps published in Canada, regardless of format, are received through legal deposit. One copy serves as the preservation copy and the other can be made available for use under certain conditions. Exceptions to legal deposit include official publications of Canadian provincial, territorial and municipal governments.

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

BANQ ensures that two copies of printed documents published in Québec are received through legal deposit. Materials include books, serials, posters, maps, music and music scores, films, postcards, and theatre programs.

COPPUL Shared Print Archive Network

COPPUL SPAN is a distributed retrospective print repository program across participating Western Canadian COPPUL libraries. The work is structured in phases built around different types of materials. Journal commitments are reported through PAPR, and lists of archived titles for Phases 1-5 are available online.

  • Phase 1 – Low risk, widely held journals with digital equivalents and post-cancellation access rights. 1652 journal titles, none of which were Canadian publications, were retained across 10 institutions. Retention commitments are set to expire December 31, 2022.
  • Phase 2 – A mix of low risk but less widely held journals (N=21), and many medium risk titles including journals without post cancellation access rights and Canadian titles. Volume level validation of 1138 medium risk journals resulted in retentions across 10 institutions. Retention commitments are in place until December 31, 2038.
  • Phase 3 – 130 high risk print-only journals were validated at the issue level for condition and completeness at 4 participating libraries. 26 Statistics Canada publications and 400 medium risk titles carried over from Phase 2 were also included.  Retention commitments are in place until December 31, 2039.
  • Phase 4 – Printed publications from Statistics Canada. A total of 6595 titles were retained, 3754 monographs and 2841 serial runs, across 13 institutions. Retention commitments are in place until February 15, 2028.
  • Phase 5 – At-risk serials published in or about the Western Canadian provinces, at-risk being defined as held at fewer than 5 of 21 COPPUL libraries. No physical validation was required. 6073 titles are committed to be retained across 21 libraries until April 30, 2045.
  • Phase 6 – In process. Retentions will be secured for Western Canadian maps from the 1:25,000 and 1:63,360 National Topographic System map series. Commitments will extend to April 1, 2052.
  • Monographs Project – 10 COPPUL libraries participated. Roughly 1.2M local interest titles were identified for retention. Commitments will expire December 31, 2032.

Keep@Downsview

Downsview is a University of Toronto Libraries facility that maintains a single copy of important but low-usage print items contributed by the 5 participating libraries to the Shared Preservation Collection. Partner universities include the University of Ottawa, Western, McMaster, and Queen’s. Memorial University of Newfoundland is an affiliate member. The shared collection includes journals and monographs contributed under a 20 year agreement.

TriUniversity Group of Libraries

TUG is a collaboration between the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University. A collective collection is maintained at a jointly operated secure storage facility called the Annex located in Guelph, and a Last Copy policy is in place until December 2022. 340K titles are committed to be retained and are registered in OCLC.

Partenariat des Bibliothèques universitaires du Québec

Le programme de conservation partagée des collections imprimées is the shared print program being coordinated by PBUQ across academic libraries in the province of Québec. Based on a broad GreenGlass analysis, libraries will commit to retain allocated materials for the next 25 years (ie. Until 2048). For monographs, where possible 2 copies of Canadian and Quebec publications, and 2 copies of widely circulating titles published outside Canada that are considered rare (held at fewer than 3 PBUQ institutions), will be retained representing close to 2 million monographs overall. Retention commitments have been confirmed and registered with OCLC.