Jeremy Atkinson has wide-ranging experience and expertise in the leadership, management and development of academic library services. He had overall responsibility for the strategic and operational management of library and information services at the University of Glamorgan from 1991 to 2012. He previously held library posts at the University of Northumbria, Cardiff University and Manchester Metropolitan University. He has had a long standing and active involvement in a large number of UK strategic committees and groups, notably those of Jisc (continuous involvement from 1998 - 2012), SCONUL (including three years as a trustee and member of SCONUL Executive Board) and WHELF (Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum). For WHELF he was Chair of the WHELF Development Group and responsible for the HELP (Higher Education Libraries in Partnership) project, which defined the future direction of Welsh academic library collaboration, and for the development of the WHEEL (Welsh Higher Education Electronic Library) initiative, covering e-journal and e-book procurement for the Welsh HE sector.

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION1. Introduction (Jeremy Atkinson)

SECTION 2: COLLABORATION, UNIVERSITIES AND THEIR LIBRARIES2. Collaboration and academic libraries: an overview and literature review (Jeremy Atkinson)3. Universities, collaboration and competition: a senior manager perspective4. General chapter on partnership and collaborative working5. Technology and collaboration

SECTION 3: ACADEMIC LIBRARIES AND INTERNAL COLLABORATION6. Collaboration within a large library service: librarians working together7. Collaboration in a converged service8. Working with faculties and embedding services9. Working with students10. Supporting research11. Working with estates and architects on a new building or refurbishment, e.g. Learning Commons / Information Commons which would also involve collaboration with other support departments

SECTION 4: ACADEMIC LIBRARIES AND LOCAL AND REGIONAL COLLABORATION12. A UK librarian reflecting on their external collaboration 13. A non-UK librarian reflecting on their external collaboration14. Non-UK regional collaboration case study15. UK regional collaboration case study16. Joint use library case study17. Shared collections

SECTION 5: ACADEMIC LIBRARIES AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION18. UK organisation case study19. Non-UK organisation case study20. International collaboration case study

SECTION 6: REFLECTIONS21. Reflections (Jeremy Atkinson)

Collaboration and the Academic Library: Internal and External, Local and Regional, National and International explores the considerable change that has affected universities and academic libraries in recent years. Given this complex and important context, it is clear that the academic library increasingly needs to operate in partnership with its users and other professionals and organizations to be successful in meeting the needs of its clientele. Academic librarians need to work closely with client groups so that services are relevant, and close partnerships with other professionals need to be forged to provide seamless services for users.

The book looks at all aspects of collaboration affecting academic libraries, both internally and externally, to help the reader understand future directions for collaborative activities in a complex and difficult working environment.