Current trends in UK university libraries

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to describe the effect of changes in UK higher education policy on services and staff in university libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of academic literature, higher education statistics and news pieces was used to supplement the author's 16 years' experience of academic library work to identify the main trends in academic library services as student numbers enter a period of likely decline. The paper considers the motivating factors behind these changes in library design, library collections and services and how the culture of academic libraries is changing as a result.

Findings

It is suggested that the culture of business improvement and performance measurement, which libraries have followed their university institutions in adopting, has implications for the culture of customer service in libraries; that traditional library services will continue to be marginalised by the automation of services and remote and virtual access to services; that current librarians may be ill prepared for the changing services they operate.

Originality/value

The paper offers a survey of current trends in university libraries from the point of view of a front line library service worker and should be of interest to other library professionals.

Citation

Hurst, S. (2013), "Current trends in UK university libraries", New Library World, Vol. 114 No. 9/10, pp. 398-407. https://doi.org/10.1108/NLW-04-2013-0032