Academic and research libraries (along with some research oriented public libraries) have collaborated for some time to preserve the print scholarly record, so as to ensure the efficient and effective care of physical library resources while making sure users have access to there materials.
Preservation and storage facilities such as the Research Collections and Preservation Service (ReCAP), large scale digitization and preservation initiatives such as HathiTrust, and programs such as EAST have all focused on long-term retention of books while ensuring they are accessible for scholars, faculty and students. More recently, alliances of consortial shared print programs, such as the Rosemont Shared Print Alliance, which is focused on archiving print serials and journals for scholarship, are beginning to be formed to strengthen this commitment thus ensuring print scholarship remains accessible for scholars in this digital age. The vision for the Partnership is a logical outgrowth of these efforts and aims to unify efforts across programs, projects, and initiatives in the U.S. and Canada already involved in monograph shared print as well as encourage the expansion of such initiatives to further protect the cultural and scholarly print record.