Research Libraries UK

Research Libraries UK is a consortium of UK's leading Oxford and Cambridge university libraries, as well as the British Library, National Library of Scotland, and National Library of Wales. The organization was established in 2001 to promote and support the interests of its member libraries, which include the Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, and the Library of Trinity College, Dublin. Research Libraries UK works closely with other organizations, such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust, to advance research and scholarship in the United Kingdom. Its members also collaborate with international partners, including the Library of Congress, National Library of Australia, and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek.

● History

Research Libraries UK was formed in 2001, following the merger of the University Libraries Group and the Cooperative Academic Support Libraries initiative. The organization's early work focused on developing collaborative digitization projects, such as the Google Books Library Project, and promoting the use of open access publishing models, as advocated by the Budapest Open Access Initiative and the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities. Research Libraries UK has also worked with the Joint Information Systems Committee and the Higher Education Funding Council for England to develop and implement digital preservation strategies, such as the Digital Curation Centre and the Preservation and Long-term Access through Networked Services initiative. The organization's history is closely tied to that of its member libraries, which include the John Rylands Library, University of Manchester Library, and the Senate House Library.

● Membership

Research Libraries UK has a diverse membership, comprising 30 of the UK's leading research libraries, including the University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, and the London School of Economics. Member libraries are drawn from across the United Kingdom, and include institutions such as the University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, and the University of Sheffield. Research Libraries UK also has close ties with other organizations, such as the Society of College, National and University Libraries, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. The organization's members work together to share best practices, develop collaborative projects, and advocate for the interests of research libraries, as seen in the work of the Research Information Network and the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance.

● Activities

Research Libraries UK is involved in a wide range of activities, including digitization and digital preservation, open access publishing, and the development of research data management strategies, as outlined in the Research Councils UK's Policy on Access to Research Outputs and the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program. The organization works closely with its member libraries to develop and implement collaborative projects, such as the UK Research Reserve and the Copac union catalog, which provides access to the collections of over 100 UK research libraries, including the National Art Library and the British Architectural Library. Research Libraries UK also collaborates with other organizations, such as the Jisc, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council, to develop and implement national strategies for research data management and digital scholarship, as seen in the work of the Digital Humanities Institute and the Centre for Digital Scholarship.

● Governance

Research Libraries UK is governed by a board of directors, which includes representatives from its member libraries, as well as independent experts in the fields of library and information science, digitization, and research policy, such as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Ministry of Justice. The organization is also advised by a range of expert groups, which provide guidance on issues such as digital preservation, open access publishing, and research data management, as outlined in the Digital Curation Centre's Digital Curation Lifecycle Model and the DataCite metadata standard. Research Libraries UK works closely with other organizations, such as the Society of College, National and University Libraries and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, to develop and implement national policies and strategies for research libraries, as seen in the work of the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance and the Intellectual Property Office.

● Collections and Resources

Research Libraries UK's member libraries hold a vast array of collections and resources, including rare books, manuscripts, and archives, such as the Bodleian Library's Duke Humfrey's Library and the British Library's Sir John Ritblat Gallery. The organization's members also provide access to a wide range of digital collections and online resources, including e-journals, e-books, and databases, such as JSTOR, EBSCO, and ProQuest. Research Libraries UK works closely with its member libraries to develop and implement collaborative projects, such as the UK Research Reserve and the Copac union catalog, which provides access to the collections of over 100 UK research libraries, including the National Art Library and the British Architectural Library. The organization's members also collaborate with international partners, such as the Library of Congress, National Library of Australia, and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, to develop and implement global strategies for digitization and digital preservation, as seen in the work of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and the World Digital Library.

● Impact and Influence

Research Libraries UK has had a significant impact on the development of research libraries in the United Kingdom, and has played a key role in shaping national policies and strategies for digitization, digital preservation, and open access publishing, as outlined in the Research Councils UK's Policy on Access to Research Outputs and the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program. The organization's members have also made significant contributions to the development of research data management strategies, and have worked closely with other organizations, such as the Jisc and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, to develop and implement national initiatives, such as the Research Data Management Toolkit and the Digital Curation Centre's Digital Curation Lifecycle Model. Research Libraries UK's work has also had an impact on the international stage, with the organization collaborating with partners such as the Library of Congress, National Library of Australia, and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek to develop and implement global strategies for digitization and digital preservation, as seen in the work of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and the World Digital Library. The organization's members include the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, British Library, National Library of Scotland, and the National Library of Wales, and its work is closely tied to that of other organizations, such as the Society of College, National and University Libraries, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Category:Library consortia