The Academic Library

This authoritative and wide-ranging textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the changing functions of higher education libraries and the organizational cultures in which they operate. It offers an assessment of the impact of such changes on service delivery from both provider and user perspectives, and considers the future role of the academic library. The new edition has been completely updated, with a new chapter on performance measurement and more extensive coverage of: accessibility; information literacy; portals; digital libraries; copyright; institutional repositories; virtual and managed learning environments; and management of change.

Written in a readable and accessible style, the book focuses on:

the library in the institution

users of the academic library

the impacts and opportunities of ICTs

human resources

management and organization of resources

collection and access management

the academic library building

library systems and networks

specialist services

management and professional issues

performance measurement.

Readership

: This textbook is an indispensable introduction to the range of issues facing academic libraries. Invaluable for new information professionals and for students on information and library studies courses, it also makes stimulating reading for education administrators and academic library managers in both higher and further education. While the book considers emerging scenarios in the United Kingdom in depth, it also draws examples from institutions elsewhere in the world, and is of broad international interest.

1. The higher education context
2. The history of higher education libraries
3. The library in the institution
4. Users of the academic library
5. The impacts and opportunities of information and communications technologies
6. Human resources
7. Resource management
8. Collection and access management and the organization of resources
9. The academic library building
10. Library systems
11. Services
12. Management
13. Performance measurement
14. Professional issues
15. The academic library of the future