Center for Research Libraries (CRL)

What is the Center for Research Libraries?

The Center for Research Libraries makes available approximately five million publications, archives, and collections and one million digital resources to its member libraries to supplement their own humanities, science, and social science holdings as well as research and teaching. CRL materials usually arrive in two days and can be obtained for extended loan periods.

CRL resources include:

6,500 international newspapers, many dating to the 1700s - the largest collection of circulating newspapers in North America
4,500 U.S. newspapers, many dating to the colonial era, including 2,000 ethnic titles
Foreign journals rarely held in U.S. libraries
More than 800,000 dissertations
Area Studies: major microform and paper collections from Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, and many other areas
Underground Newspaper Collection
South African Political Ephemera (1964-1990)
ACLU Archives (1912-1950)
British Trials (1660-1900)
Italian Books before 1601

The CRL is governed by the major research libraries of North America and is funded by fees, grants and contributions. Membership in CRL allows UConn faculty, staff, and enrolled students to request these items via Interlibrary Loan.

Searching for and Requesting CRL Materials

CRL materials can be searched and requested through UConn WorldCat, but you can also search via the CRL Quick Search page that provides links to the CRL Catalog as well as specialized databases such as the foreign doctoral dissertations database, foreign newspapers database and U.S. ethnic newspapers database. You can also browse the CRL topic guides to find out more about collections available to you.

Search for items in the UConn WorldCat Books & Media Worldwide tab search box on the Libraries' home page:

After doing your initial search, you can limit your search to the Center for Research Libraries if you wish, by using the "Libraries to search" dropdown box:

Requesting Monographs, and Dissertations

Find the item you want and choose Request Item:

Requesting Series Titles

Some series titles (journal titles or microfilm series) will not have the Request Item button. If you require volumes of a series held at the CRL, you can utilize the blank request forms available in your ILLiad account. Log in and choose the form for "Book." Enter the volumes and years needed in the Notes field.

When your item becomes available, you will receive an email notification.

CRL Visits and Tours

UConn faculty, staff, and enrolled students may visit and tour the CRL facility in Chicago. You may visit CRL's Reading Room in Chicago to use Center materials. Arrangements must be made with CRL's Access Services Department in advance of your visit to insure that needed materials are available.

Collection Highlights

CRL promotes collection and preservation of hard to find research materials in print, microform and electronic formats. Here are the collection highlights:

	*Digital Collections* Includes: Chinese pamphlets: Political communication and mass education in the early period of the People's Republic of China Slavery and Manumission Manuscripts of Timbuktu Pamphlets and Periodicals of the French Revolution of 1848 Digital South Asia Library (DSAL) African Language Materials (ALMA) E-books Archive Mapping Mediterranean Lands		*Scholarly Journals Program* Scholarly journals rarely held by North American Libraries Emphasis is on Asian and Eastern European science and technology titles. Search current science serials database
	Foreign Newspapers Largest circulating collection of foreign newspapers in North America Extensive runs of more than 6,000 foreign newspaper titles going back to 1700s Current subscriptions to over 300 papers from 93 countries Search foreign newspapers database		Foreign Dissertations Over 800,000 doctoral dissertations from institutions outside of United States and Canada A demand purchase program allowing member institutions to request for titles that are not currently held by CRL For comprehensive research, search both the foreign dissertations database and the CRL Catalog
	Foreign Documents Government documents from more than 100 countries. Social and economic development plans from over 150 countries (1950 to date) European historical statistical serials Foreign Official Gazettes		U.S. and Ethnic Newspapers U.S. Ethnic Newspaper database includes over 2,000 titles of newspapers published by various ethnic groups in North America U.S. general circulation newspapers, at least one from each state searchable through CRL’s catalog Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Papers database provides access to newspapers and newsletters published by its members (1934 – 1942)
	Area Studies Project Research materials including government documents, serials, and newspapers from six regions of the world: Africa Slavic and Eastern Europe Latin America Middle East South Asia Southeast Asia Browse Topic Guides to learn more		Other Major Collections Including: Pre-1951 publications from U. S. States and their agencies Major microform sets in literature, art, theater, music and other fields College and University Catalogs from U.S. and other countries from 1820s to present