1. Library European University Institute Library Consortia Structure and governance in Europe Tommaso Giordano Deputy Director, EUI Library, Florence Thessaloniki 3 October 2002 4th E- ICOLC International Coalition of Library Consortia in Europe

2. Library European University Institute Library In this presentation Emerging consortia models in Europe Key factors influencing their evolution Main organisational components affecting their structure and governance

3. Library European University Institute Library Consortia: transitory solution or a model for a long term prospective?

4. Library European University Institute Library Scope Survey on consortia initiatives in 28 European countries: 18 countries in Western Europe and the European context 10 countries in Central and Eastern Europe

5. Library European University Institute Library Consortia for e- resource Consortia as library networks for sharing resource (union catalogues, ILL, e- resources) Consortia for purchasing and management of e- licenses, established by the libraries Consortia for selling e-services to the libraries organised by information providers

6. Library European University Institute Library General Trends Persistence of the gap between the different areas (North, Central Eastern and South) Discrepancies are arising in the same area and/or countries Situation at initial stage in several Eastern European countries Fragmentation of the initiatives in some countries Convergence of the initiatives at national level Emergence of broader alliances at international level The relevance of OSI/ e-IFL programme in Eastern Countries

7. Library European University Institute Library Influential Factors in the European Context Different political systems (centralised/decentralised) Different economic and social situations (West/East) Different size of the countries Different library practices and policies (i.e. co- operation, investments ) Different educational/university systems and policy Scarce availability of e-publications in non English languages

8. Library European University Institute Library Key Aspects Scope and Geographical Dimension Mission and Policy Core Programme Infrastructure Financing Structure and Governance

9. Library European University Institute Library Scope and Geographical Dimension Consortia conceived and developed at national level Or: Started at local level with a later shift to the national level Regional consortia (Spain, Germany &c.) Involvement of national and public libraries mainly in small countries General tendency toward larger strategic alliances (interconsortia initiatives at national and international level)

10. Library European University Institute Library Mission and Policy Few consortia articulate a clear vision or strategy Some provide a wide range of library services Some are just ‘buying clubs’ Few have developed their own licence model Focus on big international publishers In some cases (mainly in Northern Europe) consortia are strongly connected with larger national digital programmes

11. Library European University Institute Library Core programme cataloguing ILL and EDD infrastructure (i.e. IT) collections development e-licenses portals and user interface TOC’s training programmes e-resource preservation academic e-publishing digital conversion ………..

12. Library European University Institute Library Infrastructure Most consortia have a minimal infrastructure Some have central staffing In other cases, support is provided by one of the participating libraries In some cases administrative and technical support is provided by a central body involved in the programme (i.e. national library or central agency) Most consortia outsource services (technical support and expertise)

13. Library European University Institute Library Financing Very few are completely self- financed by participating libraries Most are partially supported by special funds Others are strongly supported by central funds Special funds are provided by national, regional or research agencies Different invoicing and accounting procedures

14. Library European University Institute Library Structure and Governance Library networks and “new consortia” Variable dimensions (from 5/6 to 100 and more libraries) Few consortia as corporate legal entities Most based on memoranda of understanding/ informal agreements Governance and decision-making mechanisms in many cases are extensive (complex) and ‘participative’

15. Library European University Institute Library Models Centralised National Regional Decentralised loose federation (informal) highly structured (legal entity) governmental agency

16. Library European University Institute Library Governance COUNCIL (Policy) Mangement Board Subject Groups Admistrative & Technical support IT Infrastructure Consultants SPONSORING BODY

17. Library European University Institute Library Emerging Models National centralised model National strategy (and/or involvement of national library) e.g. FINELIB, COBISS National decentralised model Begun as a limited group with gradual development at national level; e.g. COUPERIN Regional model (centralised or decentralised) Regions (eg: land, canton, regione &c.); e. g. University Library Consortium of Catalunya (CBUC)

18. Library European University Institute Library Conclusion (strategy) Political systems (centralised-decentralised) have a strong influence on library co-operation policies Fragmentation in the absence of national strategies Central/special funding support and policies are key factors for consortia development Little consideration of using consortia as publishing partners for university research output Emergence of transnational alliances (e-IFL, Gasco, SELL)

19. Library European University Institute Library Conclusion (structure) Legal status as prerequisite for long term ( and larger) programmes Decision procedures are slow in many cases Significant overheads and management costs Centralised solutions appear more cost effective Increasing devolution of responsibility from libraries to consortia Many consortia seem transitory in nature

20. Library European University Institute Library T. Giordano. “Library Consortia Models in Europe: a Comparative Analysis”. Alexandria, 14 (1), 2002, p.41-52

21. Library European University Institute Library ….finally my favourite consortium...