International Association of Technological University Libraries
Abstract
Drawing on a current study, funded by the British Library Research and Innovation Centre, the context of higher education libraries is discussed, including funding and costs and recent major official reports on education and libraries. Future trends and imperatives are outlined. Models of library purchasing consortia are presented. The operation of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium’s Libraries Project Group is examined in detail. The lessons and benefits of consortium membership are discussed. The future influence of purchasing consortia, particularly on the regional library and on electronic publishing are examined
