RLUK26 | Strengthening library resilience through collaboration

RLUK26 Conference | Stewardship in challenging times: the role of libraries in supporting civic society https://www.rluk.ac.uk/ https://rlukconference.com/ Chaired by Wendy White, Director Library and Learning Services (University Librarian) at the University of Southampton. The UK Print Book Collection – Preserving access to print content through partnership working Joanna Little, Programme Manager - UK PBC, RLUK Jane Saunders, Associate Director: Content and Discovery, University of Leeds The UK Print Book Collection is a shared service designed to preserve and provide access to scarce print monographs across the UK. It is supported by RLUK and SCONUL, the British Library and Jisc. It is administered by the British Library and underpinned by the National Bibliographic Knowledgebase, operated by Jisc. The presentation will outline how UK PBC is ensuring that at least 7 seven libraries in the UK hold a copy of a print book, whilst also enabling libraries to make confident local collection management decisions which will facilitate more effective use of finite space, and other resources. Aligning Library Consortia for Collective Impact: Results from IOI’s ORBIT Project Sarah Lippincott, Senior Researcher, Invest in Open Infrastructure In an era when academic libraries face existential threats, who steps up to provide stability? Invest in Open Infrastructure’s Open Resilience: Building Infrastructure Together (ORBIT) study reveals that library consortia in the United States are serving as critical bulwarks against resource scarcity and service disruption among their members. Interviews with consortial leaders highlight challenges facing libraries—vendor consolidation, shrinking institutional capacity, political pressures—and the opportunities consortia see for bold collective action. This session introduces the report’s findings, including five approaches to open infrastructure support (hosting, building, sponsoring, training, cultivating) to ensure that critical library services thrive in an increasingly restrictive environment. Scaling Small: Community-led Collaboration and the Future of Diamond Open Access Caroline Ball, Community Engagement Lead, Open Book Collective Dr Caroline Edwards, Director, Open Journals Collective, Open Library of Humanities The Open Book Collective (OBC) and Open Journals Collective (OJC) are community-led initiatives creating sustainable Diamond OA models for books and journals. This presentation will introduce how both collectives operate and collaborate, offering transparent, non-profit alternatives to APC- and BPC-based systems. It will outline how OBC’s pooled Supporter Programmes enable libraries to fund scholar-led presses and infrastructures, and how the new OJC will support over 300 Diamond OA journals. The talk will emphasise the importance of participatory governance and the principle of 'scaling small', as well as highlighting libraries’ leadership as funders and co-governors shaping equitable, community-owned scholarly communication.