Sympathy, synthesis, synergy: the Scottish collaborative agenda

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Sympathy, synthesis, synergy the Scottish
collaborative agenda

• Sheila Cannell
• Director of Library Services
• University of Edinburgh

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Think global, act local
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Sympathy, synthesis, synergy
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Sympathy, synthesis, synergy

• The quality or state of being affected by the
  condition of another with a feeling similar or
  corresponding to that of the other the fact or
  capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings
  of another or others fellow-feeling. Also, a
  feeling or frame of mind evoked by and responsive
  to some external influence
• OED

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Research pools in Scotland
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Sympathy, syntheses, synergy

• The action of proceeding in thought from causes
  to effects, or from laws or principles to their
  consequences.
• The putting together of parts or elements so as
  to make up a complex whole the combination of
  immaterial or abstract things, or of elements
  into an ideal or abstract whole. the state of
  being put so together.
• OED

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Collaborative activity in Scottish libraries

• Procurement of periodicals and monographs
• Access to content
• Print storage
• Collections policy
• Institutional Repository framework
• Open Access
• Software tools
• Sharing of expertise and staff development
• Access
• Advocacy

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Benefits of collaboration

• More information is delivered to more people
• Better value for money
• Freeing up time for local activity
• Coherent service provision
• The profile of library can be raised
• Alignment to Governments shared service agenda

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Risks of collaboration

• Loss of institutional competitive edge
• Different institutional missions
• Loss of local control
• Requirement for different working practices
• Governance issues

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Sympathy, syntheses, synergy

• Joint working, co-operation
• Increased effectiveness, achievement, etc.,
  produced as a result of combined action or
  co-operation
• OED

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Scottish collaborative agenda (1)

• Procurement SCABS and SNIPES
• Content Scottish Higher Education Digital
  Library
• Print storage Collaborative Academic Store for
  Scotland
• Scottish Collections Policy

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Scottish collaborative agenda (2)

• Scottish Declaration on Open Access
• Institutional Repository framework IRIScotland
• Digital Library framework Scottish Digital
  Library Consortium
• Expertise and staff development Scottish
  Academic Library Cooperative Training Group
• Access
• Advocacy Disability, Subject groups

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Some conclusions

• Organic nature of collaboration
• SFC has requested an information landscape
• Other potential areas of work
• eg preservation, digitisation, reference, support
  for research pooling, workforce development, RD,
  collaboration beyond HE
• Some initiatives are producing UK wide benefits
• It is not about saving money but providing a
  better service
• Needs shared understanding and trust
• Changes in global environment mean changes in
  local response

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Sympathy, synthesis, synergy
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