09.30 – 10.00

Registration and coffee 

10.00 – 10.10 

Welcome and introduction to the conference from SCONUL Co-chair Anna O'Neill

10.10 – 11.00

Keynote speech: It's a temptation to get it to do the work: Student experiences of GenAI and the implications for libraries and information services

Dr Stephen Gow, Leverhulme Fellow, Department for Learning and Teaching Enhancement at Edinburgh Napier University

Generative AI is part of the everyday reality of university life. Students are using AI tools to explore ideas, make sense of complex material, support their writing, organise their studies and navigate a demanding academic environment. But their experiences are far from uniform: alongside confidence and experimentation, there is uncertainty about what constitutes appropriate use, how far AI outputs can be trusted, and where institutional expectations and boundaries lie. Understanding what students are actually doing with AI - not simply what we assume they are doing - is essential if universities and their libraries are to provide the guidance, skills and support students need to use these technologies critically, confidently and responsibly. And libraries need to consider how these student behaviours will require the reshaping of our own services.

Dr Stephen Gow will share new insights into changing student behaviours, reporting on his recent extensive study looking at student experiences of navigating the generative AI landscape in UK higher education.

11.00 – 11.50

Panel discussion and Q&A: Doing things differently

Academic and research libraries are operating in an increasingly challenging financial environment, with rising costs, constrained institutional budgets and growing expectations of what libraries should deliver. But financial pressure also creates an imperative to think differently. This panel brings together library directors to explore how libraries can respond creatively and strategically: rethinking approaches to content and collections, making smarter choices about technology, and considering how teams, roles and skills might evolve. Rather than focusing simply on what libraries may need to cut, the discussion will ask a more ambitious question: how can we use this moment to reshape services, deploy resources differently and ensure that libraries continue to deliver maximum value to their institutions and communities?

Our speakers are:

• Robin Armstrong Viner, Associate Director: Head of Library at Swansea University
• Anna Clements, Director Library Services and University Librarian at University of Sheffield
• Eleonora Gandolfi, Associate Director (Research and Innovation)/ UKRN Institutional Lead at University of Surrey
• Justine Rush, Head of Library Services at University of Kent

11.50 - 11.55

SCONUL EDI group relaunch

11.55 – 12.10

Coffee & tea break

12.10 – 13.00

Parallel sessions - delegates have the opportunity to attend one of the following sessions:

Increasing visibility and impact: the experience of the Jisc Digital transformation library lens programme and call for a new library cohort
You will hear directly from libraries that took part in the Jisc Digital transformation library lens pilot research programme as they share how they have increased their visibility, influence and impact within different institutional contexts and challenges. Through practical examples, speakers will discuss how they have used the library lens resource to address institution-wide priorities, from shaping strategy, to strengthening digital and AI capability, and embedding change across the library and the institution. They will share outcomes, lessons learned and the benefits of participating in a supportive peer community. You'll also hear how you can join a new cohort of the Jisc Digital transformation library lens action research programme starting in the new year. Speakers:

• Kay Grieves, Deputy Director (Learning, Teaching and Research), Teesside University
• Paola Marchionni, Head of Engagement, Digital Transformation, Jisc
• Lisa McLaren, Head of Library and Archives Service, University of Westminster
• Deborah Munro, Deputy Director Library and Learning Services, Aston University
  
  

Collective Collections: An Alternative to the Big Deal?
This workshop shares emerging work from the RLUK Collective Collections subgroup and invites participants to explore whether a collective collection model can offer an alternative to the Big Deal. We’ll consider what a more flexible, evidence-led approach to collective access could look like and whether it could give institutions greater choice over how they invest limited resources. Facilitators:

• Jane Saunders, Associate Director: Content and Discovery, University of Leeds
• Rachel Schulkins, Head of Subscriptions and Publisher Relations, The University of Manchester

13.00 – 14.00

Lunch

14.00 – 14.50

Keynote speech: Media Literacy and Democratic Participation in Evolving Information Environments

Dr Gianfranco Polizzi, Assistant Professor in Digital Media and Communications, Department of Linguistics and Communication, University of Birmingham

Contemporary information environments are characterised by growing concerns about misinformation, declining trust, political polarisation and rapid technological change, making media literacy essential for people to engage critically and meaningfully with information across different platforms and formats. Drawing on findings from media literacy research conducted across the UK, this keynote explores the importance of media literacy for informed and active civic and democratic participation, arguing that it should not be understood solely as a means of protecting people from misinformation and other online harms. Dr Gianfranco Polizzi will highlight persistent gaps in media literacy across the UK population and some of the challenges involved in equipping both children and adults with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing digital society. Reflecting on current opportunities and challenges for media literacy education, he will also consider the role that institutions, including libraries, can play in supporting media literacy provision and in fostering critical engagement with information, and he will conclude with evidence-based recommendations for future research, policy and practice.

14.50 – 15.05

Coffee & tea break

15.05 – 15.55

Panel discussion and Q&A: Advocacy through storytelling

How we talk about libraries matters. At a time when higher education is under significant financial and strategic pressure, demonstrating value is not simply about presenting evidence—it is about creating compelling narratives that connect the library’s contribution to the priorities of the institution. This panel explores advocacy through three complementary perspectives: positioning the library as a vital knowledge service at the heart of the university; what senior leaders really see, hear and value when they think about their libraries; and how the techniques of storytelling can transform evidence, impact and expertise into narratives that resonate. Together, our contributors will consider how libraries can move beyond describing what they do to tell a more powerful story about why they matter.

Our speakers are:

• Gary Elliott-Cirigottis, Director of Library and Knowledge Services at The Open University, will speak about repositioning the library as a knowledge service.
• Libby Homer, Chief Student Experience Officer at Buckinghamshire New University, will share her perspective as a senior institutional leader.
• Professor Stephanie Schnurr, Professor in Sociolinguistics and Director of Postgraduate Research Studies in Applied Linguistics at University of Warwick, will talk about using organisational narratives and storytelling techniques as a tool for advocacy.

15.55 – 16.00

Concluding remarks from SCONUL Co-chair Rachel Beckett

16.00

Close