5 Reasons to join the National Acquisitions Group (NAG)

What is NAG National Acquisitions Group, which will hereafter be referred to as NAG, is a membership organisation involving Librarians (public, academic, and specialist), suppliers, and publishers.…

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a young boy is crying and saying but the worst thing i ever done i mixed up fake puke at home

ALT: a young boy is crying and saying but the worst thing i ever done i mixed up fake puke at home

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Amazon gives the public a taste of the treatment academic libraries have been highlighting for years

For over a decade, the Amazon Kindle has been the poster child for the digital reading revolution. It promised a library in your pocket, a seamless partnership between the tactile world of paper an…

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Amazon gives the public a taste of the treatment academic libraries have been highlighting for years

For over a decade, the Amazon Kindle has been the poster child for the digital reading revolution. It promised a library in your pocket, a seamless partnership between the tactile world of paper and the convenience of the cloud. But for millions of users clinging to older, perfectly functional devices, that promise has recently curdled. As reported by the BBC…

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5 Pillars of a Strong Reading List Policy & Guidelines

In the complex machinery of a university library, metadata and discovery systems are the engine, the powerful and intricate components that keep the gears turning. But even the most sophisticated engine is motionless without the right input. If discovery is the engine, then the Reading List is the fuel. Reading lists are the primary vehicle for the identification and acquisition of teaching materials.

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People Are Better Than Systems: 5 Reasons Why Human Expertise Trumps Shiny Centralisation

I am really looking forward to presenting about this topic at the NAG Seminar 2026 in Nottingham on May 20th and May 21st (open for bookings now, get signed up and if you aren’t a NAG member,…

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People Are Better Than Systems: 5 Reasons Why Human Expertise Trumps Shiny Centralisation

I am really looking forward to presenting about this topic at the NAG Seminar 2026 in Nottingham on May 20th and May 21st (open for bookings now, get signed up and if you aren't a NAG member, consider joining this fantastic organisation) At the seminar, I will be talking very specifically about the knowledge and expertise that has been invaluable from our teams at University of York, consider this a teaser article that covers a small fraction of the concepts, ideas, and examples that will be delivered (powerpoint style) to Seminar attendees.

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Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. Part 5 – The Wider Sector

In our previous post, we dove into the somewhat surreal world of library analytics, where a turnaway is the digital equivalent of a student lamenting access in the stacks, and marketing is the art of promising a party where there’s only one chair. We’ve looked at the metadata, the licences, and the spreadsheets. Now,, it's time to look more widely, because as much as we’d like to believe our acquisitions strategies exist in a vacuum of local need and budget, the reality is that we are small fish in a very large, occasionally predatory, corporate ocean.

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Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. Part 4 – Statistics & Promotion

In our previous post, we looked at the "invisible" life of an e-book once the invoice is paid. We explored the high-stakes world of metadata, the frustrations of DRM, and the ethical imperative of accessibility. We established that buying the book is only half the battle; the other half is ensuring it actually works for the human at the other end of the screen.

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Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. Part 3 – Managing E-Books

Welcome to the third post in my series, Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. In our previous post, we navigated the high-level landscape of e-book procurement—explorin…

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Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. Part 3 – Managing E-Books

Welcome to the third post in my series, Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. In our previous post, we navigated the high-level landscape of e-book procurement—exploring how Evidence-Based Acquisition (EBA), DDA, and big-brand packages allow us to scale our collections. We looked at the "how" and the "where" of getting content into our digital ecosystem. Here is a breakdown of the series so far:

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Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. Part 2 – Schemes and Packages.

Welcome to the second post in my series, Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. Over the coming weeks, I will be pulling back the curtain on the digital supply chain to explore methods of purchase, supplier relationships, and what happens next. Today we are looking at Schemes and Packages Here is a breakdown of the series so far:

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Buying and Managing E-Books for Acquisitions Librarians. Part 1 – Purchasing E-Books.

In the ever-evolving landscape of academic library collections, the shift toward digital has often been framed as a straightforward evolution, a simple migration from shelf to screen. Yet, as any Acquisitions Librarian can tell you, the reality of building a digital collection is a complex dance of licensing, logistics, and strategic negotiation. While our patrons see the convenience of a click, we navigate a labyrinth of platforms, permissions, and pricing models behind the scenes.

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5 Ways A Well-Designed Controlled Digital Lending Scheme (CDL) Can Improve Your Academic Library

If you’ve spent any time in a university library lately, you’ll know we’re living in a bit of a divided era. On one hand, we’ve got these magnificent, sometimes centuries old, print collections that user communities love and value (and honestly, who can blame them? There’s nothing like the smell of an old book). On the other, we’re battling a digital marketplace that feels increasingly like a wild west of restrictive licenses, rising costs, and content that can vanish at the whim of a platform update.

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5 things for University Librarians to think about when exiting a Read and Public agreement

The landscape of UK higher education has recently shifted, with news that terms have been agreed with five major academic publishers via Jisc negotiations. While some might be tempted to view this as a "done deal," another perspective would describe it as a pragmatic reflection from the sector that further negotiation on terms is simply no longer possible. The harsh reality is that, given the severe financial challenges facing the sector, many of these agreements will remain fundamentally unaffordable for many institutions.

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