The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded the University of California Libraries a three-year grant to continue development of the Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST), a distributed shared print repository program for retrospective journal archives. More than 100 libraries participate in the trust, including libraries from the University of California system, Stanford University, Arizona State University, the University of Washington and other members of the Orbis Cascade Alliance, the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA) and the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC).
Under the second phase of the WEST program, participating libraries will continue to consolidate print journal backfiles at major library storage facilities and at selected campus locations.
During the initial three-year project (Phase 1, 2011–13), selected WEST "archive builders" actively processed approximately 150,000 volumes from 8,000 journal runs (current and previous titles) to allow recovery of the space occupied by potentially millions of corresponding volumes now held in duplicate by partner libraries. During the next three-year project (Phase 2, 2014–16), WEST will complete two more archiving cycles, processing approximately 120,000 additional volumes. WEST also will assess the archiving program and conduct strategic planning with members to identify potential new services for subsequent years and refine the business model to transition to a sustainable, member-supported model.
The governance committees for WEST include an executive committee and an operations and collections council composed of representatives from member institutions. They continue to oversee the operation and development of WEST. The California Digital Library (CDL) at the University of California serves as administrative host for the WEST program. Primary project staff includes Emily Stambaugh (WEST program manager and UC shared print manager), Lizanne Payne (WEST planning and systems consultant), and Danielle Watters Westbrook (WEST collections analyst and UC shared print collections analyst).
The WEST project has developed a robust framework for shared print archives based on risk management principles to ensure long-term retention of journal backfiles. Archive holders in the trust make the collections and retention commitments visible at the national/international level.
About the University of California Libraries
More than 100 libraries on the 10 University of California campuses support the university's research, learning, patient care and public service missions. Collectively, they make up the largest research/academic library in the world and, with the California Digital Library, have taken a leadership role harnessing technology in support of new and innovative forms of scholarly communication and preservation. For more information, visit http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/ and www.cdlib.org.