The SCONUL Summer Conference 2019 took place at the Mercure Manchester Picadilly Hotel on the 11 - 12 June.  The conference focused on “Delivering through partnerships”.   Delegates reflected on global developments on open access and the role that libraries are playing in driving change internationally; restraining the cost of content; how libraries are delivering on their missions to enhance the student experience and deliver research excellence through partnerships within and beyond the institution; and the implications of these changes for the development of the library workforce. The speakers and delegates bought a range of experience and ideas that generated discussion and reflection. You can discover more below.

Keynote speakers

Panel discussions

Delivering the library workforce of the future
Strategic workforce planning is a key priority across both the higher education and library sectors. The panel experts explored the challenges and opportunities in developing a diverse and inclusive culture and a library workforce of the future that has the attributes and skills to flourish in a continuously changing environment.

Video

Partnerships in practice
The panel experts explored the recipe for successful collaboration, with examples that worked for them.

Video

Parallel sessions

The parallel sessions were:

Workforce Development group: The experience of BAME staff working in SCONUL member libraries
Led by Caroline Taylor (Chair of the Workforce Development Task & Finish group and University Librarian, University of Leicester) and Regina Everitt (University Librarian, University of East London) with Dr Mohammed Ishaq (Reader, School of Business and Enterprise, University of the West of Scotland). Report / Pesentation
 
Transformation group: Why do our users love our libraries; are we getting it right on digital preservation and other critical questions
Led by Judith Keene (Chair of the SCONUL Transformation Strategy Group and University Librarian, University of Worcester) and Christine Fowler (Head of Library & Learning Support, Bournemouth University).
 
Collaboration group: AI on member libraries - use cases and value propositions
Led by Liz Waller (Chair of the SCONUL Collaboration group and Director of Library & Heritage Collections and University LIbrarian, Durham University) and Nick Barratt, (Vice-chair of the SCONUL Collaboration group and DIrector, Senate House Library, University of London).
Presentation
 
Content group: Plan S - the death of big deal subscriptions Plan S and transitional deals
Led by Stella Butler (Chair of the SCONUL Content Strategy Group and University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection, University of Leeds), and Chris Pressler (Vice-Chair of the SCONUL Content Strategy Group and University Librarian and Director of The John Rylands Library) with Anna Vernon (Head of Licensing, Jisc).

Content group: Plan S and transitional deals
Led by Stella Butler (Chair of the SCONUL Content Strategy Group and University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection, University of Leeds), and Chris Pressler (Vice-Chair of the SCONUL Content Strategy Group and University Librarian and Director of The John Rylands Library) with Liam Earney (Director of Licensing, Jisc).

The fringe

The fringe sessions were:

The British Library: UKRR - the next chapter. Led by Alison Selina (Document Supply Manager, British Library) and Suzy Robinson (Business Analyst, UKRR).
Presentation

CILIP: Diversifyingthe library and information workforce - apprenticeships and CPD. Nick Poole (CEO, CILIP)

Innovative: Ease of use vs trust - the challenges of library discovery platforms. Colin Carter (Sales Director, Europe and Africa, Innovative)

Jisc: The future of managing research outputs - working with the sector. Dr Tasmin Burland (Senior Co-design Manager, Digital Futures, Jisc)

Kortext: Increasing access to international markets through digital and distance learning experiences - partnerships for growth.  Yaz El Hakim (Director of Education Strategy and Communications, Kortext)

OCLC: The costs of 'open' - preliminary results from a global OCLC survey. Merilee Proffitt (Senior Manager, OCLC Research)
Presentation

Additional conference information

Conference brochure

Conference tweets

Conference sponsors