Strategy

Collaborative Action for Collective Benefit

SCURL Strategy summary infographic

SCURL Strategy Summary

SCURL Mission 

SCURL is a membership body that manages shared services and supports developments on behalf of Scotland’s university and research libraries. Our work over the last few years has had a focus on collective procurement, through the ongoing development of the Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL), and on exploring the benefits of library-led publishing through the foundation of the Scottish Universities Press (SUP).  

SCURL also facilitates collaboration across our member institutions, and with a range of key stakeholders across the library and wider education sectors. Our work is shaped by and tailored to the distinct policy and education landscape of Scotland.  

Advocacy is embedded across SCURL activities, highlighting the key role libraries play in supporting learning and research and in delivering the strategic goals of the wider institutions. SCURL groups and networks drive innovation and staff development across our membership base. 

SCURL Aims 

The overarching aims of SCURL are to: 

  • collaborate towards the development of a co-operative library infrastructure in Scotland 

  • improve services for users and maximise resource through collaborative action 

  • advocate the contributions and benefits of library services to stakeholders 

  • provide mutual support for members 

Strategic Aims – 2023-2026 

Working within this overarching framework, and through consultation across the SCURL membership, we have identified five priority areas which will become our strategic aims over the next three years. These are: 

  • Developing people 

As a membership body, people are central to the work of SCURL. Our members participate in a range of special interest groups and networks which aim to pool expertise and create opportunities for skills development. Through our programme of events and networking activities, we are committed to a cross-sector approach which recognises the diversity of our membership base and opens opportunities for sharing good practice. Feedback from our members has identified target areas in developing people over the coming years: succession and diversity planning, recruitment, and progression. Through the Strategy, we will work together to understand and respond to the challenges in developing the library workforce to meet the needs of the communities we serve. 

  • Access & Inclusion 

The SCURL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network was launched at the end of 2021 to facilitate a collective and consistent response to EDI issues across member libraries. 

The Network will publish a resource to support EDI in 2023, covering areas such as collections and discovery, student engagement, recruitment, and demographics. The implementation of the toolkit and the ongoing development of the Network will be an important area of work over the term of the Strategy. 

  • Shared Services 

SHEDL the first super-consortial purchasing model in the UK, is a well-established SCURL shared services that continues to evolve in line with the current procurement landscape. Scottish Universities Press has harnessed SCURL’s shared service experience to become the first large-scale library-led collaborative publishing operation in the UK. The focus for SCURL over the next three years will be to develop SCURL and SUP using the power of our consortial agreements and shared publishing infrastructure to drive positive change in the academic publishing landscape.

  • Advancing Open Research 

SUP signals a firm commitment from SCURL to provide practical support for open access, exploring the benefits of library-led infrastructure both in terms of cost savings and in promoting diversity across the academic publishing landscape. In addition to the ongoing development of SUP, SCURL will explore the wider potential of open access including collaborative approaches to stimulating  open research within our collections. 

  • Enriching & Promoting our Collections 

The collective holdings of SCURL member institutions comprise Scotland’s rich national research collection. The Last Scottish Copy Policy provides a framework for the collective management of that collection. SCURL will explore the potential for collaboration to bring more value for the users of both our collections and spaces.  

Over-arching Themes 

In addition to these strategic aims, we have identified four overarching themes which will impact across all SCURL work. These are: 

  • Digital Innovation 

Digital brings opportunities across all of the strategic aims, with potential to enhance service delivery, enrich content and increase the reach of collections. SCURL is committed to optimising the use of digital technologies across internal services, and to supporting effective use of new technologies across the SCURL community. The SCURL network will provide a source of information and inspiration to support digital developments. 

  • Sustainability 
    Environmental sustainability is an issue of the utmost importance on a global scale. Libraries can play a significant role in effecting positive change, both though operational approaches and in providing access to trusted information. SCURL is committed to embedding sustainability across all of our work and contributing to advocacy and research that promotes positive change. Financial sustainability is also a core commitment of our members which SCURL will enable through cost effective collaboration and purchasing at scale. 

  • Partnership 
    SCURL exists as a partnership between our member institutions, where positive relationships and cooperation deliver mutual benefit. We will continue to explore the potential of the SCURL network, reaching out to external stakeholder groups where appropriate, to extend the scope of our work and improve our offer to members. 

  • Internationalisation 
    SCURL will learn from, and contribute to, the international best practice and research driving improvements across the academic and research library sector. 

Implementing the Strategy 

The SCURL Business Committee will develop annual business plans to take forward the Strategy over the next three years. The first of these was agreed at the September meeting of the Business Committee. Download the SCURL Business Plan 2023-24 as a PDF. 

Download the Strategy summary as a PDF.