The consortium was established in 2004 for the express purpose of doing "big deals" with three large publishers who, at that time, required a certain volume (number of subscribing schools, total aggregate spend, etc) before they would allow anyone into a big deal. In that first year, we had 37 colleges/universities and one community college participate in one or more of the three deals offered. Over the next decade, the consortium grew rapidly, adding many more members and offers, and greatly expanding both the types of products offered and the kinds of libraries eligible to join. Today, the Carolina Consortium is a large group of diverse libraries, spanning two states and working together to save hundreds of millions of dollars on a wide variety of library resources and services. In 2025, the consortium changed it's instituional home from UNC Greensboro to UNC Charlotte.
Unlike most consortia of its size, the Carolina Consortium is very loosely organized. There are no MOU's, paperwork, or officers. It is staffed by part-time volunteers. The consortium has no bank account or other assets. It is not a 501(c)(3). At its annual meeting, the group discusses and decides the short and long term goals for the group, and whether any changes in direction are needed. Despite the large number of member institutions, we make decisions through consensus. In 2021 we set up our first standing committee, the Carolina Consortium Advisory Group, to advise the CC staff on complex and strategic issues. The Advisory Group includes:
- Joseph Thomas (thomasw@ecu.edu) - East Carolina University
- Carol Cramer (cramercj@wfu.edu) - Wake Forest University
- Megan Rudolph (mrudolph@waketech.edu) - Wake Tech
- Christee Pascale (cpascale@mailbox.sc.edu) - University of South Carolina
- John Felts (jfelts@coastal.edu) - Coastal Carolina University
- Amy Trepal (amy.trepal@pascalsc.org) - PASCAL (ex officio)
- Claire Leverette (clarie@nclive.org) - NC Live (ex-efficio)
Starting in 2025, the consortium created three more committees to help leadership manage the work of the committee.
Licensing Principles Committee - Assist leadership in defining licensing principles to aid in license negotiation
- Jenn Brosek (CC-Rep) - UNC Charlotte
- Kate Dickson - Duke University
- Lauren Corbett - Wake Forest University
- Allison Jones - College of Charleston
- Christee Pascale - University of South Carolina
- Tessa Minchew - Coastal Carolina University
- Amy Trepal - PASCAL
- Claire Leverette - NC Live
Annual Meeting Planning Committee - Provides guidance and feedback to the CC team on planning the Annual Meeting
- Liz Siler (CC Rep) - UNC Charlotte
- Allison Jones - College of Charleston
- Adam Harness - Charleston School of Law
- Christine Fischer - UNC Greensboro
- Erika Boardman - UNC Charlotte
- Stephanie Collins (CC Rep) - UNC Charlotte
- Maia Dickenson - UNC School of the Arts
- Ron Epps - Campbell University
- Susan Myers - Spartanburg Methodist College
Education Committee - Plans and implements vendor demos and educational programming for the CC membership
- Liz Siler (CC-Rep) - UNC Charlotte
- Devon Waugh - NC Live
- Erika Boardman - UNC Charlotte
- Stephanie Collins - UNC Charlotte
- Erin McAleer - Tri-County Technical College
- Sarah Meuth - UNC Wilmington
- Rachel Roy - North Carolina Wesleyan University
- Vicki Blocker - Elon University
- Holly Mabry - Gardner-Webb University
There are multiple consortium information channels. As new deals are negotiated or new information about existing details becomes available, members are notified via the listserv. Members can also reference deals located in a secure file through a shared Google Folder or are welcome to contact leadership directly for information at carolinaconsortium@charlotte.edu.
At our annual meeting, we discuss newly available deals and deals that are of special interest. Our vendor/publisher partners are welcome to attend parts of our meeting and discuss their products with interested consortium members.
Liz Siler and Jenn Brosek (Leadership) from UNC Charlotte, and Christine Fischer and Steve Cramer from UNC Greensboro are the core group that does most of the work of negotiating deals and communicating with the membership. Joseph Thomas (ECU) coordinates the OA aspects of Carolina Consortium deals. The day-to-day work of the consortium, including planning events, organizing consortium materials, and overall running the organization is managed by the leadership team and Stephanie Collins, the CC Administrator.
The leadership transition from Tim Bucknall at UNC Greensboro to Liz Siler and Jenn Brosek at UNC Charlotte was finalized on January 1, 2025.