Canadian not-for-profit, degree-granting post-secondary institutions, as well as research and GLAM (gallery, library, archive, museum) institutions are eligible to apply for associate membership with CRKN. CRKN has two types of associate membership:
- For institutions wishing to participate in CRKN’s commercial content licensing program
- For heritage organizations wishing to benefit from member pricing and services for digitization, preservation, and access.
Benefits of Associate Membership
Associate Members of CRKN join our network of academic and research institutions from across Canada and a vibrant community of practice dedicated to expanding sustainable knowledge infrastructure.
Associate Members participating in CRKN's content licensing program benefit from a collective negotiating body that represents over 80 Canadian institutions. This ensures that CRKN members are receiving sustainable pricing and that negotiations with publishers represent the needs of the Canadian research community. To learn more about the publishers whose content we negotiate and license for our members, please visit the Publishers section of our website. Associate Members participating in CRKN’s content licensing program also benefit from member pricing and services for digitization, preservation, and hosting, as well as the opportunity to contribute content to the Canadiana collections.
Associate Members who do not intend to participate in the content licensing program may also join to benefit from member pricing and services for digitization, preservation, and hosting.
With our ambitious 2019-2024 strategic plan in place, we welcome all types of research and heritage institutions to enrich our membership.
Additional specific benefits of associate membership include:
- Priority member rates for CRKN’s digitization services
- Priority member rates for the annual CRKN conference
- Access to CRKN’s member listservs
- Access to member-only content on the CRKN website
- Governance opportunities through CRKN’s committees and task groups
How to Apply
To become an Associate Member, institutions must be Canadian, not members of Universities Canada, and fall into one of the following categories:
- Not-for-profit, degree-granting post-secondary institutions
- Academic and/or research affiliated institutions
- Library, archive, heritage, museum and gallery organizations
Associate Members may choose to participate in CRKN's commercial content licensing program, or not to participate. Membership fees and application processes differ for each type of associate membership.
Prospective Associate Members – Interested in Participating in Content Licensing Program
- Prospective Associate Members are invited to contact CRKN at info@crkn.ca to discuss membership opportunities, including the licenses in which they are interested. CRKN’s Model License will be sent for review by the applicant.
- Prospective Associate Members submit an application form along with supporting information to CRKN.
- Associate membership applications are reviewed by the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, at which point additional questions regarding the operations and interests of the applicant may be raised.
- Membership is approved by a vote of the institutional membership at CRKN’s Annual General Meeting in October.
Required documents and information:
- CRKN Associate Membership Application
- A statement of interest indicating how membership in CRKN aligns with the applicant’s institutional and research priorities
- Information about the institution’s sources of financing and the size of its operating and library budget
- Information about current library holdings and library staff, including who will be responsible for administering CRKN licenses within the applicant’s institution and the institution’s capacity to administer online licenses
- Information about the institution’s technical infrastructure that supports online access to licensed content
- Current enrolment figures (FTE students, both full and part-time), if applicable
- A listing of the number of academic staff, both full and part-time
- A report of current dollar value of sponsored research, from all sources
- A list of other licensing consortia of which the applicant is a member
Prospective Associate Members – Participating in Heritage programs Only (Library, Archive, Heritage, Museum and Gallery organizations)
- Prospective Associate Members are invited to contact CRKN at info@crkn.ca to discuss membership opportunities and membership fees.
- Prospective Associate Members submit an application form along with supporting information to CRKN.
- Associate membership applications are reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, at which point additional questions regarding the operations and interests of the applicant may be raised.
- Membership is approved by the Board of Directors.
Required documents and information:
- CRKN Associate Membership Application
- A statement of interest that includes how membership in CRKN aligns with the applicant's institutional priorities and recent projects or initiatives related to CRKN's priorities.
Associate Membership Fees
CRKN’s associate membership fees are consistent with our practice for institutional memberships and dependent on the size of the organization.
Annual Membership Fees for Associate Members Participating in CRKN’s Content Licensing Program
Associate Members participating in CRKN’s content licensing program pay an annual membership fee equal to the lowest membership fee applied to CRKN’s Institutional Members. This annual fee may be increased based on inflation annually. For 2020-2021, the fee is approximately $5,500. Members participating in CRKN’s content licensing program also contribute to the Heritage Content Access and Preservation (HCAP) fund. In addition, Associate Members will be levied a 5% surcharge on each invoice for licenses in which they elect to participate.
Associate Membership Fees for Associate Members Participating in CRKN’s Heritage Activities Only
Associate membership fees for Associate Members participating in CRKN’s heritage activities only is based on full-time equivalent staff numbers, as a guideline for assessing organizational size. Annual membership fees are eligible for annual increases based on inflation.
Table of Annual Membership Fees for Associate Members Participating in Heritage Activities Only:
|
FTE |
Annual Fee |
|
Up to 5 FTE |
$500 |
|
Up to 10 |
$700 |
|
Up to 20 |
$1,000 |
|
Up to 40 |
$1,400 |
|
Up to 80 |
$2,000 |
|
Up to 160 |
$2,700 |
|
Up to 320 |
$3,900 |
|
Up to 640 |
$5,400 |
|
Up to 1,280 |
$7,600 |
|
Up to 2,560 |
$10,700 |
|
More than 2,560 FTE |
$15,000 |