WEST’s new pilot with member libraries and the Internet Archive aims to maximize deselections, expand access, and enhance preservation

WEST is launching a pilot to amplify and support library collaborative strategies for print collection management and preservation. Specifically, the pilot will involve coordinating the donation of duplicate copies of WEST archived titles to the Internet Archive to expand digitization and access via RapidILL for print serials.

One of the most critical strategic opportunities of shared print programs is the network that – through agreements, policies, and trust – allows libraries to maximize local resources by adopting a collection strategy that takes into account the shared collections through which they can maintain access for users while repurposing resources like physical space. 

With this pilot, WEST takes a new and innovative step in its leadership to expand the ecosystem of collaborative collection management. The pilot reinforces the reality that when libraries remove content from their collections they are not just ‘getting rid of it.’ Rather, they are strategically reorganizing within a broader context of continued access and preservation of knowledge. 

This pilot plays to the strengths of all its partners. WEST contributes its expertise and tools for comparative analysis and holdings identification, while libraries contribute content as part of their own locally-driven journal review projects, with the Internet Archive supporting the digitization activities in which their organization specializes.

We are delighted that University of Wyoming, University of California Berkeley, University of Arizona, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of California Riverside, and University of Colorado Boulder have agreed to participate in the pilot. All six libraries are either planning or in the middle of significant local journal review projects. The pilot libraries are expected to meet over the next six months to move through the process of selecting and shipping content to the Internet Archive, giving feedback to the WEST Project Team as they move through the workflows. 

Here’s what some of our participants have to say about the pilot:

• Our library has been asked to open up more space in the library for an upcoming construction project, so we have been looking at transferring most of our bound journal volumes to our on-site permanent shared storage facility – PASCAL. Before proceeding, we conducted an overlap review to compare our holdings with our flagship school CU Boulder’s PASCAL collection, hoping to avoid adding duplicate volumes. This review identified over 18,000 duplicates. We are excited to join the WEST pilot project, as it offers a positive solution for these weeded volumes. Thank you WEST and Internet Archives! – Wendy Kisicki, Technical Services Specialist, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
• As reflected in the UC Berkeley’s Library’s strategic plan to improve access to resources, shared collections embody the philosophy that knowledge and resources are most powerful when they are accessible to all. By pooling our collective resources through participating in the West Internet Archive pilot, UCB can achieve significantly more than we ever could alone. – Jo Anne Newyear Ramirez, Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources, University of California Berkeley
• The Internet Archive is looking forward to collaborating with WEST on this preservation effort! These kind donations from WEST will help our library expand its print journal offerings to patrons. It has already been a pleasure to work with WEST on establishing workflows for this pilot. Through this pilot we hope to learn more about how our library can support other libraries in managing their collections and how we can make the process of donating collections easier on libraries to prevent disposal of valuable collections in the future. – Liz Rosenberg, Donations Manager, Internet Archive
• We believe in the power of collaboration to ensure the preservation and accessibility of knowledge. By working together, libraries can think more broadly about their collections, maximizing the value of what they hold while ensuring that critical resources remain available to all. This pilot with WEST exemplifies how shared print programs can both reduce physical burdens on libraries and expand access through digitization, creating a more sustainable and inclusive future for scholarly communication. – Chris Freeland, Director of Library Services, Internet Archive

The WEST Operations and Collections Council will oversee the pilot and assess if and how to expand it. 

If you would like to follow along with the pilot’s progress, please bookmark the WEST Internet Archive Pilot Webpage.