Ithaka S+R and OCLC Partnering on “University Futures; Library Futures” Research Project

From an Ithaka Blog Post:

Today, we are announcing a new project, “University Futures; Library Futures”, in which OCLC Research and Ithaka S+R are joining forces to carry out a collaborative project on the future of academic libraries, in the context of changes in the higher education landscape.
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In this project, our research question is: what happens when libraries differentiate themselves in terms of services, not collection size; are there multiple models of success?
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In this context, the current discussion of the future of libraries has two limitations. First, it often proceeds without reference to the universities of which they are a part. We contend that the most important long term influence on the library is the requirement placed on it by changing patterns of research and learning. These changing patterns, in turn, are shaped by the focus of the university and the directions it is taking. Second, it often presumes some homogeneity of approach or direction, different only in degree among libraries. This presumption of homogeneity encourages a view of academic libraries in which the research library is seen as a terminal point in evolution, rather than as one type among others.

The project will be lead by

• Roger Schonfeld and Deanna Marcum (Ithaka S+R)
• Constance Malpas & Lorcan Dempsey (OCLC Research)

Read the Complete Announcement
UPDATE: See Also:  Beyond Counting Books (via Inside Higher Ed)

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Libraries, News