Library Collaboration as a Strategic Choice: Evaluating Options for Acquiring Capacity

"The decision for academic libraries to collaborate can yield distinct benefits, but not without an often-significant investment of effort, attention, and resources. Library collaboration needs to be weighed against the pros and cons of alternative ways of acquiring capacity. In short, collaboration is a decision that needs to be approached strategically. 

This report provides insight and tools to support academic libraries in making intentional decisions about cross-institutional collaboration opportunities to acquire capacity, including:

• A menu of common sourcing strategies available to libraries 
• Key considerations and trade-offs associated with these strategies
• A summary of foundational economic concepts that help deepen understanding of the collaboration option "