Prospective Membership
Expressions of interest and general inquiries about BLC membership are welcome at any time.
The BLC Board of Directors generally considers applications in the spring for admission the next fiscal year (June 1). For best consideration, applications should be received by January 31.
BLC welcomes and encourages invitations from prospective members to visit their library before applying. These site visits provide an opportunity for library staff to learn more about the consortium and for members of the BLC team to learn more about the library.
BLC Membership Criteria
Prospective members must:
- Be located in the northeastern region of the United States
- Contribute to the purpose, values, and priorities of the consortium
- Be a 501(c)(3) organization or a governmental agency
- Demonstrate the institutional support and financial commitment necessary to actively participate in the consortium's programs
BLC Membership Expectations
All BLC members will:
- Support BLC's collective goals and collaborative spirit
- Participate fully in the sharing of print, electronic, and digital content with BLC members at no added cost
- Adhere to BLC's Interlibrary Loan Agreement and Resource Sharing Best Practices
- Pay the annual membership assessment as well as other fees associated with the services in which the library chooses to participate
- Appoint an institutional representative to any standing committee
- Be represented on the board of directors by the chief librarian of its principal library
BLC Membership Assessments
BLC members pay annual Core Membership Assessments to sustain the consortium's activities. These assessments are determined by library type and size.
BLC members also pay Resource Sharing Assessments to support BLC's consortial resource sharing system and delivery service. These assessments are determined by library type and borrowing volume.
BLC members participating in BLC's Shared Systems and Services program pay a Supplementary Membership Assessment to support projects associated with BLC's Network Zone.
Upon admission, new BLC member institutions make a one-time contribution to the BLC Reserve Fund. This contribution helps sustain collaborative projects that advance the consortium's strategic priorities and is set at one-half of the applicable Core Membership Assessment.
FY25 Membership Assessments
Tier 1 - $22, 200
Academic libraries with a combined FTE up to 9,999, and all other libraries
Tier 2 - $24, 300
Academic libraries with a combined FTE between 10,000 and 19,999
Tier 3 - $26,400
Academic libraries with a combined FTE of 20,000 or more
FY25 Supplementary Membership Assessments - $25,000
All BLC members participating in BLC's Network Zone
Questions?
Email Charlie Barlow with questions about prospective membership, or to submit your membership application.