New Research Library Alliance

Sue Martin (at left) with other CIRLA library directors

Georgetown has joined with five other research institutions in the Chesapeake Bay region to form the Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance (CIRLA). Library directors of the six institutions met earlier this year at Johns Hopkins to formalize the new consortium and to launch a planning process for cooperative action. The overall goal of CIRLA is to enhance education and research at member institutions through collaborative development of library collections and service programs as well as through expanding use of information technology.

The founding members of CIRLA are, besides Georgetown, the University of Delaware, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland/College Park, and the Smithsonian Institution. All are members of the Association of Research Libraries. Officers of the new alliance are James Neal (Johns Hopkins), president; Susan Martin, vice president/president-elect; and Barbara Smith (Smithsonian Institution), secretary-treasurer.