SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
EXPLORE +
  • About infoDOCKET
  • Academic Libraries on LJ
  • Research on LJ
  • News on LJ
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Libraries
    • Academic Libraries
    • Government Libraries
    • National Libraries
    • Public Libraries
  • Companies (Publishers/Vendors)
    • EBSCO
    • Elsevier
    • Ex Libris
    • Frontiers
    • Gale
    • PLOS
    • Scholastic
  • New Resources
    • Dashboards
    • Data Files
    • Digital Collections
    • Digital Preservation
    • Interactive Tools
    • Maps
    • Other
    • Podcasts
    • Productivity
  • New Research
    • Conference Presentations
    • Journal Articles
    • Lecture
    • New Issue
    • Reports
  • Topics
    • Archives & Special Collections
    • Associations & Organizations
    • Awards
    • Funding
    • Interviews
    • Jobs
    • Management & Leadership
    • News
    • Patrons & Users
    • Preservation
    • Profiles
    • Publishing
    • Roundup
    • Scholarly Communications
      • Open Access

January 14, 2021 by Gary Price

Historic Move: Big Ten Libraries Commit to Managing Separate Collections as a Single Collection (The BIG Collection)

January 14, 2021 by Gary Price

Update: The BIG Collection project was first discussed in a 2019 report. On December 16, 2020 a steering committee was announced. 

—–

From the Announcement (via Michigan St. University) and BTAA Website:

In a historic and unprecedented maneuver for a group of independent universities, the University Library Deans and Directors of the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) have committed to managing the separate collections of Big Ten university libraries as a single collection. As part of this effort, MSU Dean of Libraries Joseph A. Salem, Jr. was appointed to the BIG Collection Steering Committee.

Source: BTAA

The announcement was made by the Library Directors of the BTAA.
Intentional and strategic coordination enabling a networked approach will ensure the collective good, leveraging the true breadth of these remarkable libraries’ collections, while allowing individual libraries to focus more deeply on distinctive collections and services focused on local areas of strength and expertise. People are the heart of this initiative. By joining our strengths, we have the opportunity to create something more powerful than the sum of our parts. Articulating the needs of the whole, we will coordinate holistic action to elevate the collective interest and the greater good.

[Clip]

The BIG Collection will be supported by interoperable services and systems at scale that rest on a foundation of shared infrastructure.

[Clip]

Motivated by a report commissioned from OCLC, the Big Ten Academic Alliance library directors have affirmed a vision for a “collective collection”: 

“Going forward, we will orient our collective actions around the challenges and opportunities that come with interdependence and will implement the necessary systems, policies, and services needed to create an integrated user experience of the networked collections, from discovery to delivery. We will individually and collectively invest in strategies that transition our focus from building local collections to creating a shared, fully networked collection that supports our local students and scholars. With ever increasing rigor, we will manage the separate collections of the Big Ten as if they were a single shared collection, maximizing access to and ensuring the preservation of the scholarly record in support of our common mission. (signed by all Big Ten University Library Deans and Directors, September 2019)

[Clip]

The objective of the BIG Collection is to create an environment for Big Ten faculty, staff and students in which content will be universally available to all without regard to which institution produced or purchased the resources and materials.

[Clip]

The BIG Collection stands on the shoulders of a rich, well-developed community with decades of successful initiatives and cooperative endeavors. The BIG Collection is the lead idea, the center of gravity for all Big Ten library activity. 

“The BIG Collection is really about collaboration, impact, and efficiency,” Salem said. “Together, the Big Ten Libraries account for 22 percent of the printed word in English. When we coordinate our efforts, we can increase that or more efficiently and economically share that same amount of material across the Big Ten. It’s really exciting to think about how a shared system will allow individual libraries to build specialized collections that can be used by everybody affiliated with the BTAA. This will increase access to materials for all of our users. It’s just a tremendous initiative!”

[Clip]

Securing a Sustainable Future

This is a complex and long-term process, and it may take years to fully realize the vision and all of the components. But deliberate steps are underway now to:

1) Identify the technical and policy adjustments necessary to implement a seamless experience for users to access the collections and make requests as if the collections were held locally;

2) Provide seamless access for librarians and staff for decision support and collection management and ILL data and information;

3) Build a culture of deep collaboration and interdependence at all levels of library services.

The University Library Deans and Directors of the Big Ten universities are leading the overall effort, with coordination provided by the BIG Collection Steering Committee. This initiative builds on existing work in resource sharing, print archiving and joint digital acquisitions. The university libraries are currently examining models for transformative licensing agreements that will leverage existing investments in digital journals and other content, while improving access to information across the group of universities. 

FY 21 Steering Committee Members

Library Director Liaisons

Krisellen Maloney (Rutgers University)*

Joe Salem (MIchigan State University)

Claire Stewart (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)*

Committee Members:

  • Emily Campbell (University of Michigan)*
  • Rachael Cohen (Indiana University)*
  • Babak Hamidzadeh (University of Maryland)
  • Qiana Johnson (Northwestern University)
  • Kate McCready (University of Minnesota)
  • Rebecca Richardson (Purdue University)

*Names with a star represent continuity from the initial BIG Collection committees active in FY 20.

Learn More

Direct to MSU Libraries Join Other Big Ten Libraries in Effort to Expand Collection Access

Direct to Complete BIG Collection Website

Direct to Big Collection Project Structure

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Data Files, Jobs, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Patrons and Users, Preservation

SHARE:

About Gary Price

Gary Price (gprice@mediasourceinc.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. Before launching INFOdocket, Price and Shirl Kennedy were the founders and senior editors at ResourceShelf and DocuTicker for 10 years. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com, and is currently a contributing editor at Search Engine Land.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Job Zone

ADVERTISEMENT

Recent Articles on LJ

Standing Up to Bullies | Editorial

Governance Transformation Picks Up Steam | ALA Annual 2022

Prince George’s County Memorial Library System Targeted by Anti-LGBTQIA+ Vandalism

Tackling Trauma in Frontline Workers

Proud Boys Disrupt Drag Queen Story Time at San Lorenzo Library

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Infodocket Posts

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Announces Extraordinary Elections 2022 Results For President-Elect and Treasurer

From an IFLA Blog Post: We are pleased to announce the following results of IFLA’s Extraordinary Elections 2022, which determine the key  posts of President-elect and Treasurer. President-elect: Vicki McDonald ...

Motherboard Report: "Libraries Are Becoming a Battleground For LGBTQ+ People"

From Motherboard: There has been a swift escalation of LGBTQ-related attacks on libraries in recent months, turning typically quiet public spaces into political battlegrounds at a time of growing hostility ...

Research Tools: Our World in Data Releases "Democracy Data Explorer"

From the Our World in Data Website: Explore the world’s political systems with the leading approaches of measuring democracy. Direct to Democracy Data Explorer See Also: Download the Complete Democracy ...

Canada's Bestselling Books by Province and Territory; NLM Responds to Librarians’ Open Letter re: MeSH Term Changes; an...

Canada’s Bestselling Books by Province and Territory (Booknet Canada) Changing the Academic Gender Narrative through Open Access (via Publications) NLM Responds to Librarians’ Open Letter re: MeSH Term Changes (Medical ...

Fast Facts: The Fourth of July: 2022

From the U.S. Census: On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As ...

Research Article: "Exploring User Experience in Digital Libraries Through Questionnaire and Eye-Tracking Data"

The article linked below was recently published by Library & Information Science Research. Title Exploring User Experience in Digital Libraries Through Questionnaire and Eye-Tracking Data Authors Maja Kuhar University of ...

Journal Article: "Click Me…! The Influence of Clickbait on User Engagement in Social Media and the Role of...

The article linked below was recently published by PLoS One. Title Click Me…! The Influence of Clickbait on User Engagement in Social Media and the Role of Digital Nudging Authors ...

New Project for SPARC Europe to Reform Rights Retention and Open Licensing Policies in Europe

From SPARC Europe: SPARC Europe has been selected to deliver the first project sponsored under the Knowledge Rights 21 (KR21) programme. KR21 seeks to strengthen access to knowledge in particular through ...

Not Real News: An Associated Press Roundup of Untrue Stories Shared Widely on Social Media This Week

From the Associated Press: A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were ...

Journal Article: "Public Libraries as Community Health Partners"

The article linked below was recently published by Certified Public Manager® Applied Research Title Public Libraries as Community Health Partners Authors Melinda HodgesLibrary Director, Buda Public Library, City of Buda ...

University of Cincinnati: Lori Harris Named Interim Dean and University Librarian

From the University of Cincinnati: Lori E. Harris has been named interim dean and university librarian of the University of Cincinnati Libraries effective July 1, 2022. Harris initially joined the ...

New Research Article: "How Policies Portray Students: A Discourse Analysis of Codes of Conduct in Academic Libraries"

The article linked below appears in the July 2022 issue of College & Research Libraries. Title How Policies Portray Students: A Discourse Analysis of Codes of Conduct in Academic Libraries ...

ADVERTISEMENT

FOLLOW INFODOCKET ON TWITTER

Tweets by @infodocket

ADVERTISEMENT

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • Programs+
  • Design
  • Leadership
  • People
  • COVID-19
  • Advocacy
  • Opinion
  • INFOdocket
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Booklists
  • Prepub Alert
  • Book Pulse
  • Media
  • Readers' Advisory
  • Self-Published Books
  • Review Submissions
  • Review for LJ

Awards

  • Library of the Year
  • Librarian of the Year
  • Movers & Shakers 2022
  • Paralibrarian of the Year
  • Best Small Library
  • Marketer of the Year
  • All Awards Guidelines
  • Community Impact Prize

Resources

  • LJ Index/Star Libraries
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies

Events & PD

  • Online Courses
  • In-Person Events
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Submit Features/News
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Careers at MSI


© 2022 Library Journal. All rights reserved.


© 2022 Library Journal. All rights reserved.