The Strategic Positioning of Academic Libraries

Reviews / Votes

This is the most challenging period for university libraries of my 30-year career as a professional librarian. The perilous state of sector finances means nothing is sacrosanct, and this welcome book provides valuable advice and tools to help the library director show that their service is "business critical" in a period of furious competition for limited funds. It is well worth the time of any library director, as well as anyone aspiring to become one. -- Simon Bains, University Librarian, University of Aberdeen This timely book is an essential guide for navigating and positioning the academic library in the turbulent landscape of higher education. It illuminates the complex role of academic libraries and demonstrates why strategic positioning is critical for reputation, influence, and sustainability. With sharp insights into internal and external dynamics, it offers practical strategies and tools in response to global and local challenges. A must-read and go-to resource for academic library staff and higher education professionals seeking clarity and direction in an era of uncertainty and change, and for library students - equipping them with the insight and confidence to shape the future of academic libraries. -- Dr Jessica Bates, Programme Director for Library and Information Management, Ulster University A timely and really useful book that will help everyone concerned with academic libraries negotiate and navigate the unprecedented global, national and local challenges and changes facing us today. John Cox rightly identifies active positioning as a critical contributor to organisational success that has received limited attention from library strategists. Drawing on professional experience and scholarly research he provides an expert guide to the subject that is required reading for administrators, practitioners and students alike. -- Sheila Corrall, former professor of library and information science, University of Pittsburgh John Cox has pioneered understanding of the strategic positioning of academic libraries in our complex and increasingly uncertain world. Readers will welcome this extended and updated analysis. Cox's reflections on the wider context within which libraries operate is fascinating. He also offers realistic insights into libraries' strengths and weaknesses. The toolkit included in the book offers practical ways to put strategic positioning into practice. The book will appeal both to practitioners wanting to reflect on how to position their own library, and scholars of librarianship and strategy. -- Andrew Cox, Senior Lecturer at the School of Information, Journalism and Communication, University of Sheffield John Cox has written an excellent guide to academic library strategic positioning, by which he means both identifying what the library should be doing and conveying the library's value to stakeholders. Cox brings his personal experience and a comprehensive review of the literature to the task. He is clearheaded about the challenges but is ultimately optimistic. His SWOT analysis and the resource tool kit are especially useful. Any librarian looking to find the way forward, especially those conducting a formal planning process, will find the book essential reading. -- David W. Lewis, Dean Emeritus of IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) University Library and author of Reimagining the Academic Library A fantastic, compelling and unflinching examination of academic libraries that is in equal parts terrifying and optimistic. It describes the most critical and complex challenge I face as a library director. A must-read for anyone shaping the future of academic libraries and for all library staff seeking to make sense of the forces changing their jobs. -- Ciara McCaffrey, University Librarian and Director of Library and Information Services, University of Limerick, Ireland This timely work provides essential strategic guidance for academic libraries navigating disruption. Understanding the complex global, political, economic, and technological context is vital for making informed positioning decisions. The book's comprehensive SWOT analysis and practical positioning strategies offer leaders the understanding and the tools to respond effectively to intensifying challenges - from artificial intelligence to identity blurring to declining institutional position. In an era of rapid change, this strategic framework is indispensable for academic libraries seeking to remain central to their institutions' missions. -- Dr Caroline Williams, University Librarian, The University of Sydney, Australia The SWOT section is one of the book's strengths, avoiding both complacency and pessimism, and the treatment of artificial intelligence as a strategic domain requiring intentional positioning decisions is particularly useful...The SWOT framework could be adapted almost directly to a school setting and the theme of aligning resources with institutional priorities is extremely relevant. Additionally, for those undertaking Chartership, this book would be an excellent introduction to the academic library sector and the issues and challenges it faces. -- School Libraries Group