JRNL Has Moved!

Earlier this month, the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) announced that they have taken over as stewards of the Journal Retention and Needs Listing program (JRNL) from the University of Florida, Smathers Libraries, who had developed and maintained JRNL since its inception in 2013. 

JRNL serves the broader shared print community by allowing libraries to expose gaps in their serial and journal holdings and communicate offers to fill gaps in other participating libraries’ holdings. To learn more about what JRNL is and how libraries use it, watch the 2019 JRNL Demo, or read this article about JRNL by Judith Russell and Benjamin Walker from the University of Florida.

While JRNL began as a collaboration between the Florida Academic Repository (FLARE) and the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) shared print journal programs, over time JRNL expanded to include Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), the Big Ten Academic Alliance Shared Print Repository (CICBTAA-SPR), the Eastern Academic Scholars’ Trust (EAST), and the Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST).

WEST got involved in JRNL in 2015 and made JRNL part of regular workflows by encouraging WEST members to review JRNL needs and make offers to fill gaps in WEST and beyond. To support this work, WEST prepares files for Archive Holders and Builders of bibliographic, holdings, and gaps information, available for download in AGUA. These files may be uploaded directly to JRNL by members. WEST does not automatically send these files to JRNL, as participation is voluntary and at the discretion of the WEST member library. While more information about the next steps for JRNL are still forthcoming, WEST anticipates that this change will not greatly impact WEST member workflows for participation in JRNL. 

At this transition point, we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for Joel Smalley (Lead, Bibliographic & Serials Maintenance, Arizona State University) for his work on the JRNL Oversight Committee, the governing body for JRNL made up of staff and member representatives from the involved print serial archiving programs. Joel has served as the WEST Representative on the JRNL Oversight Committee since 2021, keeping WEST apprised of new updates and developments, and ensuring that the WEST member perspective was included in management of JRNL. Thank you Joel!

We look forward to working with CRL and the shared print community on this next phase of JRNL!