University libraries

An illustration of a book with coloured and newsprint rays shining out from it

Honour the university library as a creative space with an artist residency

Make your institution’s library a hub of innovation, exhibitions and community art by inviting artists to use its space. Here’s how

Darlene Maxwell, Corinne Noble, Alexandra Genova

Royal College of Art

A student walks into a library, wearing headphones

‘Our strength lies in our small size’: how to offer more as a small, specialist academic library

Libraries in small institutions don’t have to do things the same way as their larger counterparts. Here are five ways to cultivate a student-focused approach to provide bespoke support

Sarah d'Ardenne

Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)

An illustration of an AI with glasses, reading a book

Librarians, it’s time to lead the way

When GenAI first landed, many universities scrambled to understand it and how students might be using it. One library team took it upon themselves to adopt a holistic approach

Chris Porter

Birmingham Newman University

Librarians work together in a team

From library-focused project to campus-wide collaboration

A heritage trail to mark an anniversary event began life in the library, but how to extend its reach to the rest of the university? Here’s what one library team learned when they collaborated across their institution

Rachael Jones, Neal Buchanan, Carol Stewart

University of Strathclyde

A librarian guides a student

Three ways to hone your university library services for ultimate student satisfaction

Ditch the doughnuts and cut your cloth – find out the small changes that can have a big impact on student satisfaction in their university library

Karen Lloyd, Ruth Clark

University of Chichester

A young woman works at her laptop at the library

Integrating the university library into teaching and learning: why and how

Where is the library positioned within your institutional structure? Steve Briggs makes the case for integrating it into the teaching and learning unit

Steve Briggs

University of Bedfordshire

A librarian assists a student using a tablet

Anatomy of a term paper: using information literacy skills with AI

How can librarians support students in developing information literacy skills and putting them to use in an AI-enabled world? Follow each step of researching and writing a term paper and find out how to encourage students to use their skills effectively along the way

Aster Zhao, Samson Choi, Gabi Wong

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

A young woman studies in a library

How to develop your own university library excellence standard

Instead of depending on a customer service assessment by an external agency to improve your library, why not develop your own? Find out 10 things to include in your bespoke standard

Steve Briggs, Carly Ramirez-Herelle

University of Bedfordshire

A librarian helps a student, using a laptop

Information literacy is a core skill – and libraries are ideally placed to embed it

Librarians can be instrumental in developing students’ information literacy. Here’s how one university library developed a course to improve information literacy skills in healthcare disciplines

Marine Rigeade

Université Paris-Est Créteil

A locked safe

How ‘memory institutions’ can preserve our digital future

In an era of disappearing textbooks and locked-down digital archives, here’s what universities must do to protect access to knowledge

Beatrice Murch

Internet Archive Europe

Students working together in library

Redesigning the university library for creating and collaborating

University libraries are no longer just places of study, they are places of discovery, innovation and community. Patrick Tomlin discusses redesigning academic libraries to meet the ways that students and faculty learn and research

Patrick Tomlin

Virginia Tech

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Campus talks: university libraries – and librarians – that are leading the change

Learn about the efforts of US librarians to protect valuable public data from sudden erasure by the Trump administration and a pioneering project which saw a UK university partner with a local council to create a joint library that is open to anyone

David Green, Lynda Kellam

University of Worcester, University of Pennsylvania

Students work together in the library

Three reasons why university libraries are key to belonging

The university library occupies a unique place in the campus community. Find out the three reasons it’s integral to the creation of an inclusive learning environment in higher education

Bethany Wilkes

Hong Kong Baptist University

Redefining the university library for 2025 and beyond

Redefining the university library for 2025 and beyond

University libraries must keep pace with the many changes sweeping across global higher education in order to serve students, researchers and the wider public. In this guide, library teams and academics offer advice on how to do so

Kiera O’Brien, Campus contributors

Campus

Two scholars discussing over laptop

Glad you asked: how feedback turns a library into a community of scholarship

Through active and passive efforts to obtain and respond to feedback, academic library professionals can optimise their services while maintaining a lean team

Leslie Sharp, Jason Wright

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A library book being removed from a shelf

Higher education library roles explained

Libraries are changing with the times – and so is the librarian’s role. Here’s how librarians are specialising in the digital era

Chris Chan

Hong Kong Baptist University

Three young multiracial female scholars in library

Why university libraries should not overlook research staff

Research assistants and postdocs offer specialised skills and an agile approach to new methodologies, so libraries have much to gain from recognising them as strategic partners

Bella Ratmelia

Singapore Management University

A library shelf

What does the future hold for university library spaces?

University libraries are evolving fast. From inclusive design to sustainability, here’s how institutions can rethink spaces to support future learners and diverse needs

Kate Marshall

Nottingham Trent University

Artificial intelligence in the university library

AI skills for tomorrow’s university librarians

University librarians need to understand how to guide students and faculty in using AI tools ethically and effectively. In the future, they will be not only information experts but also AI facilitators. Yinlin Chen offers advice on laying the groundwork

Yinlin Chen

Virginia Tech

Students working as a group in the library

The library’s role in reducing the attainment gap

Read about strategies aimed at closing attainment gaps, such as peer mentoring, inclusive resources and academic skills training to support students

Multiple authors

Nottingham Trent University

Podlocked book

Strategic silencing: how censorship is reshaping scholarly discourse

Restrictions to US databases and scholarly work mean that researchers need new approaches to navigate research absences and silences rather than the more typical information overload, writes Alison Hicks

Alison Hicks

UCL

Young scholar working in library

University libraries’ modern role in supporting faculty and graduate research

When research is increasingly computational, interdisciplinary and comprised of multi-institutional teams who frequently collaborate virtually, university libraries must keep pace to support faculty and graduate students, as Tyler Walters explains

Tyler Walters

Virginia Tech

Exterior of the Newman Library at Virginia Tech

How to put joy at the centre of the university library

The role of the university library is poised for re-evaluation – not just as an academic hub but as a space where connection, belonging and access can come alive in everyday ways. Pro tip: cake and dogs help. Kayla McNabb explains

Kayla McNabb

Virginia Tech

Young male university student in library

‘Many academic librarians are now effectively digital curators’

Through the advent of the internet, digitisation and artificial intelligence, libraries’ purpose in supporting their users’ success remains unchanged. So, how can academic libraries transform their services to meet evolving needs?

Tyler Walters

Virginia Tech

Filing cabinet drawers open

Tap the mine of library data to help enhance your courses

University libraries offer a rich well of data for course enhancement teams, on everything from student engagement to which resources they’re using most. Here’s how to make the most of it

Steve Briggs, Carly Ramirez-Herelle , Jo Myhill

University of Bedfordshire

Young student smiling with laptop

Walls into walkways

Access to library spaces in preparation for exams is helping Dublin secondary school students find a pathway into university. Here’s how DCU Library has made them feel welcome

Aoife Murphy, Nuala Murray, Angela Laddaga

Dublin City University

Hands holding books, illustration, diversify reading lists concept

Students as partners in diversifying reading lists

Bringing the student voice into the creation of a toolkit to decolonise and diversify university reading lists was a key purpose of a library project. Here's what the team learnt about working in partnership with students

Charlotte Gleeson, Debbie Spencer, Jenny Warren

University of Chester

College students in library

Building a university library service where everyone feels welcome

Practical actions and meaningful community engagement can support libraries’ work to be more equitable, inclusive and sustainable. Here are ways to get started

Tracey Stanley, Sara Huws, Susan Cousins

Cardiff University

Student in library stacks

A framework to teach library research skills

Embedding library skills within disciplines allows teachers and students to link them to learning outcomes and research requirements. Here, a team of engagement librarians explain how to put a map in place

Anna Hvass, Karen Rolfe, Siân Furmage , Michael Latham

University of Southampton

A female student browsing a computer in the library

The library’s role in digital education: content is still king

University libraries have a huge opportunity to evolve and strengthen their roles. To do this, they must demonstrate the value of their digital content by promoting the use of their digital collections to engage, inspire and enhance learning

José Vladimir Burgos Aguilar

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A librarian in a striped dress stacks books on a shelf

As university librarians, we should embrace open research

Open access represents a new opportunity, and librarians are ideally placed to implement it. Nazarbayev University’s library team offers their advice

Jerald Cavanagh, Darya Zvonareva, Monika Bukowska, April Manabat, Yelizaveta Kamilova

Nazarbayev University

Female scholar in library

Three ways libraries are championing the open access movement

Scholars and researchers should take advantage of libraries’ support of and expertise around open access publishing. Asking a librarian for help could protect your work and save you money

Karen Glover

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

Campus talks: how the university library is an agent of change

Often overlooked, university libraries are critical to the teaching and research missions of institutions. They also play a key role in digital innovation and community outreach. Two librarians tell us more about how they see their work as agents of change

Masud Khokhar, Toni Carter

University of Leeds, Athens State University

Collaboration and partnership should be front and centre for university libraries

Seven strategies to turn academic libraries into social organisations

For libraries to secure their future on higher education campuses, they must embrace a model that prioritises partnerships and collaboration, says Sheila Corrall

Sheila Corrall

University of Pittsburgh

Using the metaverse to teach about the library

The library and the metaverse: a match made in heaven

A group of librarians and education specialists from Tecnológico de Monterrey share their tips after designing a virtual escape room that inculcates library skills

José Vladimir Burgos Aguilar , Lorena Guadalupe Rodríguez Leal , Lorena Quilantán García

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A man standing browsing papers in a university library

Tips on providing free public access to your university library

A university library should provide a gateway into the institution for surrounding communities, explains Andrew Barker, as he shares advice on creating a ‘library community card’ that provides free and open access to the public

Andrew Barker

Lancaster University

Merging library and IT services can bring great benefits to university life

Why universities should consider merging library and IT departments

Cultural differences and the need for excellent communication mean that such merging libraries and information technology departments is not easy, but the outcomes can provide tremendous value, says Ravi Ravishanker

Ravi Ravishanker

Wellesley College

Image showing digital library services

Developing a library service continuity plan focused on digital services and cybersecurity

How can library teams prepare and protect their digital services from cybersecurity threats? Amy Pawlowski and Gwen Evans draw on three real-life examples to offer important lessons

Amy Pawlowski , Gwen Evans

OhioLINK

University libraries and academic publishers need to find a long-term solution to the issue of e-textbooks

We must end the ‘us and them’ standoff between libraries and publishers

University libraries and publishers remain at a damaging impasse over digital textbooks – the solution requires communication, collaboration and openness to big ideas

Libby Homer

Anglia Ruskin University

The university library needs a dramatic pivot to online to help academics and students alike in the new normal

The academic library requires digital evolution

As we face our post-Covid reality, library services need a new vision, becoming ubiquitous and available no matter the challenges of time and space

José Vladimir Burgos Aguilar

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

Campus talks: what does it mean to decolonise a library?

Find out what is involved in decolonising a library from the editors of a book drawing together global perspectives on the subject

Jess Crilly, Regina Everitt

University of East London