HE shared digital library

Scotland’s university researchers are to benefit from an online shared initiative that makes key journals more widely available, thanks to an agreement negotiated by JISC Collections and led by the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL).

The Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL) has been backed by all of Scotland’s HEIs, who say that easier access to more journals will stimulate better research and support learning and teaching. It is the first scheme of its kind in the United Kingdom. Three leading academic publishers – Cambridge University Press, the American Chemical Society and Springer – have signed up for the pilot scheme.

Sheila Cannell, the chair of SCURL, who is Director of Library Services at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Differential access to journals has been a problem for some researchers but with the advent of SHEDL we are now providing them with a level playing field. It not only provides universities with a greater range of materials, but will also encourage collaboration between institutions as it gives researchers access to journals on the fringes of their chosen disciplines.”