Managing the life cycles of the document and library collections in Finnish academic libraries: Two case studies: Aalto and UEF

Abstract

Purpose

At the beginning of this millennium it was decided to renovate higher education legislation and to restructure the institutions in Finland. The new University Act was passed in the summer of 2009. One important aspect of the new Act means that the formerly state‐owned universities become more autonomous. In addition, the number of universities in Finland will be reduced by merging some of the old universities into new units, like Aalto University and the UEF, which were both inaugurated in 2010. This also has meant the birth of new multi‐campus universities as well as posing new challenges for the management of finances. At the same time, the digital revolution of scientific information has changed the paradigm of the libraries from ownership to access. It is no longer necessary to purchase paper journals and store them within the library building. Instead, the electronic versions are licensed, thus providing academics as well as students with 24/7 access to the material. This digital change has also triggered a generation gap between ageing library staff and the digital‐age student generation. This paper discusses the management of the lifecycles of different types of documents – printed/digital and serials/monographs – in a rapidly changing environment. In addition, the paper aims to discuss the distribution of work and outsourcing of the collection storage with the National Repository Library with the emphasis on enabling access to the outsourced collections with the help of modern database technologies. Some evidence of the effects on library expenses and usage is also given.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses the statistical data of Finnish academic libraries in presenting its results.

Findings

The National Repository Library has enabled Finnish university libraries to focus their collection policies and to make savings in the cost of premises.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is based on Finnish experiences.

Practical implications

Models for national and international collection and preservation policies are presented.

Originality/value

The paper provides thoughts for the building of global division of work in the long‐tail management of documents.

Citation

Muhonen, A., Saarti, J. and Vattulainen, P. (2010), "Managing the life cycles of the document and library collections in Finnish academic libraries: Two case studies: Aalto and UEF", Library Management, Vol. 31 No. 8/9, pp. 669-677. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435121011093432