As announced in late April, Atla & the Catholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA) are exploring a new path forward together. We have appreciated receiving your comments so far and have developed an FAQ to address many of the questions. CRRA will be hosting a Town Hall for their members on May 15 to discuss the plan with representatives from Atla attending to answer questions during the first part of the session.

We invite you to contact us with any comments and questions.

FAQ – CRRA & Atla: Exploring a New Path Forward Together

May 2023

Why Atla and CRRA?

Both organizations have a strong history of providing theological resources to individuals, institutions, and scholars in the field of religious studies as well as professional development and networking opportunities for librarians supporting the study of religion and theology.

Why should CRRA become a program of another association? Why not stay a stand-alone organization?

Increasingly, the stand-alone nature of CRRA has presented challenges in capacity, including for securing grant funding, marketing CRRA resources, and recruiting new members to help sustain the CRRA mission. By becoming part of another nonprofit organization with a similar mission, CRRA members would see an immediate benefit of this partnership in the reduction of dues by an average of 33% per member institution. This can be achieved due to efficiencies and economies of scale so the funds paid in dues and fees can go more directly towards supporting the development and maintenance of openly available resources and offering professional development and networking opportunities.

What will be the future of the Catholic Portal and the Catholic News Archive?

These resources will remain openly available. In consultation with the CRRA Program Advisory Council, Atla will explore the future of these resources and look for opportunities to grow their reach and impact, while still maintaining their Catholic identity.

Over time, Atla may consider opportunities to leverage the technology or data structures of these projects to develop similar resources for other groups of Atla members.

Membership Dues and Participation Fees

My institution is already an Atla member, will my dues change?

No, your Atla dues will not change. However, to continue to participate in and support CRRA programs and projects, your institution will need to pay the CRRA Program participation fee.

My institution is not an Atla member, will it need to join?

Yes, your institution will need to join Atla to continue to participate and support CRRA programs and projects. In addition to Atla membership dues, your institution will need to pay the CRRA Program participation fee.

What does the CRRA Program participation fee cover and how much is it?

As the task force of Atla and CRRA members worked together, it became clear the importance of continuing the programs and projects CRRA members had created collaboratively, such as the Catholic Portal and the Catholic News Archive. It also became apparent there is a desire and need to not only continue but grow the opportunities for Catholic institutions to participate together in professional development and networking opportunities. The CRRA Program participation fee ensures Atla can provide appropriate support and resources for these programs, projects, and opportunities.

When determining the CRRA Program participation fee, the difference in methodologies for calculating membership dues for Atla and CRRA was taken into consideration. CRRA membership dues are based on total library expenditures while Atla institutional membership dues are based on the library operating expenditures specific to the religion and theology collection when that collection is part of a larger general collection (more information on Atla institutional membership dues). 

For most libraries, the total of Atla membership dues plus the Atla CRRA Program participation fee will result in approximately 33% percent savings from their CRRA membership dues.

With this transition, Atla will be asking current CRRA members to indicate their willingness to join or maintain their membership in Atla, and pay the CRRA Program participation fee, for the next three Atla fiscal years to ensure its continued ability to support CRRA programs and projects. Atla will look to recruit additional CRRA Program participants, as well as additional publishing partners and grant opportunities, to bring in additional revenue. Atla will regularly evaluate the participation fee and may make adjustments in future years.

What is Atla’s fiscal year?

Atla’s fiscal year is September 1 to August 31.

We just paid our FY24 CRRA dues, what will happen to those funds?

Atla will work with each current CRRA member to determine how they would like to handle their unique situation. The funds will transfer to Atla and then institutions may choose to take the difference between CRRA dues and Atla dues plus CRRA Program participation fee and apply it to the next fiscal year, request a refund, or donate those funds.

CRRA Contributions to Atla

How will CRRA Program participants have a voice within Atla?

Every institutional member is eligible to vote in Atla elections. If staff at member libraries become individual members, they are eligible to vote and participate in the work and governance of the association by serving on the Board, Committees, editorial boards of publications, and more.

Atla also intends to create a CRRA Program Advisory Council, so that program participants can provide input and guidance on the future of resources, programs, and projects of the CRRA Program. The advisory council will meet regularly online, as well as have one in-person meeting per year with all travel funded by Atla. 

Members of the advisory council will be appointed by the Atla Executive Director (ED) for a term of three years and may volunteer to serve or be recommended by their peers or staff. The existing CRRA Board will collaborate with the Atla Executive Director and staff to identify and appoint individuals to the first council group. As a regular practice, the Atla ED consults with staff and existing members of a group to consider new appointments.

This council may have sub-committees or working groups focusing on specific areas or projects as needed.

Atla relies heavily on its committees, advisory councils, task forces, and editorial boards to guide and conduct the work of the association. Each of these has a staff liaison, to assist and act as a conduit to the Executive Director who oversees the work done by both the volunteers (members) and staff of the association. All work is guided by the Organizational Ends (OE’s) adopted by the Board. 

Will Atla members who are not CRRA members be able to participate in the program?

Yes! Atla has an active Roman Catholic denominational group and several members who are part of Catholic institutions or organizations. They will be welcome to pay the program participation fee and join the CRRA Program in order to be active in the resource development, projects, professional development, and networking opportunities.

What are the next steps to making this happen?

After CRRA members have a chance to review the FAQ and discuss the proposed changes at the Town Hall, CRRA will call a vote by online survey. In order to make the shift to being a program within Atla, CRRA will need to dissolve as a separate organization and nonprofit, and according to the CRRA bylaws, a majority of members voting is required for this decision. If the vote passes, then the work of both dissolving the current organization and building the program within Atla will begin.

For CRRA Publishing Partners

Does this mean, in the future, that my organization will need to be a member of Atla to have content published on the Catholic News Archive? 

No. Atla is eager to continue with digitizing and publishing valuable historical newspapers like yours. As has been the case with CRRA, member organizations get some benefits and discounts. But there is nothing that will prevent partnerships with organizations who are not members. 

My organization is a current partner with my content in the Catholic News Archive, will the agreement or terms change? 

If the plan is approved by CRRA members, it is Atla’s intention to fulfill the original purpose of any agreements with content partners and will engage in discussions with your organization to determine a path forward.  It is the intent to continue publication of content on The Catholic News Archive on the same platform provided by Veridian. This is also true for CRRA members who are Hosting News Service partners.