Reflections on SCONUL Access Philip Payne Director of Library & Media Services Birkbeck, University of London

LONDON PLUS SCONUL RESEARCH EXTRA INPOL LIBRARIANS _ _ COALITION OF MODERN UNIVERSITIES

Work of the SCONUL Task & Finish Group on Access Issues Established November 2010 Membership – Philip Payne (Birkbeck, University of London) – Helen Workman (Oxford Brookes) – Liz Jolly (Teesside) – Mary Nixon (until January 2012) – Matthew Brooke (RHUL) (from October 2011)

Areas covered by the T&F Group SCONUL Access Impact of the changing HE landscape on SCONUL Access Review levels of take-up of SCONUL Access (patterns, “hot spots”) Views of SCONUL members on the scheme

Areas covered by the T&F Group Access to electronic resources Extent to which walk-in access is provided Barriers to providing walk-in access How those who provide walk-in access have gone about it Recommendations on how wider provision of walk-in access can facilitated

Areas covered by the T&F Group Cross sectoral collaboration How SCONUL can support, sustain, and develop cross sectoral collaboration on library access

How the T&F Group went about the work Focus groups with SCONUL Directors Breakout groups at SCONUL Access Contacts meeting Survey of SCONUL Directors Survey of SCONUL Access Contacts Focus groups with users (and others) in Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and London Survey of SCONUL Access users

Conclusions SCONUL Access Contacts 78 responses Generally working well, warm praise for management of scheme Greatest area of discontent was the slowness of the development of the web site Improved defaulters’ procedures Other: walk-in access, improved marketing, better statistics

Conclusions SCONUL Directors 70 responses High levels of satisfaction with scheme Value of scheme being diminished through lack of access to e-resources Enlightened self-interest is a major driver to opening up access Strategic issues

Some strategic issues identified by Directors Resource pressures Tension between collaboration and co-operation Scope for more cross-sectoral collaboration Working with new providers and new partnerships Greater focus on shared services Role of the Library in the student journey Widening participation Access to e-resources

Conclusions SCONUL Access Users 3800 responses to survey 11 focus groups Birkbeck, University of London University of Cardiff Cardiff Metropolitan University University of Glamorgan Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow School of Art Kings College London University of Liverpool Liverpool Hope University Liverpool John Moores University University of Westminster Work conducted by Sero Consulting

What users said about the scheme “Overall the SCONUL Access [scheme] has provided me a gateway to further my studies. It’s a brilliant scheme.” “Keep providing this service! In this time of dwindling resources, access will become more necessary” “…it has been vital in helping me complete my PhD”

Subject differences Greater engagement in using other libraries by arts and humanities students 57% taught postgraduates in arts and humanities reported that inability to access other libraries would impede their studies (compared with 36% amongst STM students)

Value to distance learners Distance learners and part-time students expressed strong recognition of the scheme Distance learners more likely to use other libraries (including public libraries)

UK differences Respondents in Scotland were: – more likely to hold a SCONUL Access card – more likely to have visited other libraries (including public libraries) – More likely to consider lack of access an impediment to research or their studies No other UK differences

What SCONUL Access users would like Would have liked to know about the scheme earlier More upfront information on what they can expect at a destination library Better onsite information, informed staff, and a welcoming approach Access to electronic resources (and IT) A single SCONUL Access card

Where now? WATER project (Walk-in Access To E- Resources) [with M25 Consortium] Case studies/guidelines/summary of findings on walk-in access from Directors’ survey Community events Collaboration with other walk-in access developments (SCURL, WHELF) Encouraging SCONUL libraries to implement walk-in access

Other recommendations Registration/workflows via the SCONUL web site. Standard upfront information on the SCONUL web site. Single “SCONUL card” Cross library flows Library staff training Possible changes to eligibility Accessibility Guidance/advocacy statement

Some concluding thoughts SCONUL Access has been a huge success Take-up has grown consistently Appreciated by users and by libraries Importance of scheme to research and students’ learning Delivers mutual benefit through a shared service Based on principles but also pragmatism Need to continue to evolve and to link with other shared services initiatives Challenges in the new HE environment Role of SCONUL Access in an increasingly electronic environment