Jisc Collections is the negotiation and licensing service that supports the procurement of digital content for higher education and research institutions in the UK.
We are uniquely placed to provide our members with:
- expertise in negotiating, procuring, and licensing digital content within the scholarly communications sector to save librarians time and money
- high-quality e-resource collections selected for academic research, teaching, and learning
- best pricing and licensing, using our collective influence to obtain value for money
- environmental scanning and research into innovative resources, licensing models and evaluation tools
- shared knowledge about e-resource acquisition and research.
In addition, we negotiate Offset agreements in our journal negotiations. This addresses the issue of the total cost of authors publishing Open Access articles, with payment via an Article Processing Charge (APC), in 'hybrid' journals accessed and paid for via an institutional subcription fee.
Now, more than ever, librarians must show value for money. Jisc Collections provides annual efficiency gains to our members of approximately £75 million, and enable scholars and learners to use each resource to its fullest potential.
Selection and negotiation
As a shared service, consultation and collaboration is at the heart of what we do. We actively engage and consult with librarians and members of our Electronic Information Resources Working Group to identify content that will add value to their collections. We have a selection policy and endorse only those publishers who agree to our licensing and pricing terms.
Our expertise in negotiation and procurement, combined with our price banding for institutions and model licence, means librarians can focus on their core function.
Our negotiation service utilises an experienced licensing team that specialises in strategic negotiations for core content including unique scholarly journal content. Our members trust us to:
- Represent and understand their interests
- Mediate successfully between commercial and academic interests
- Obtain the best possible pricing and licence terms to support research and education
- Ensure the availability of data and tools to measure value for money and ROI.
Our helpdesk service supports librarians in the licensing process. This includes helping libraries to subscribe, renew, and implement access to the resources. We also work with publishers to make sure that they are aware of and respond to the expectations of their customers.
Research and knowledge sharing
The processes and mechanisms of scholarly communication are changing rapidly. To ensure that our service continues to meet the needs of our members in this changing landscape, we have a research team that:
- Examines the needs and behaviours of modern students and researchers to inform resource development and licensing
- Explores how innovative tools and technology can support efficient procurement
- Develops effective and sustainable business models for e-resources
- Leads to collaborative licensing for wider access
- Keeps us, and our members, at the forefront of the scholarly communications environment.
We work collaboratively across UK institutions to gather, validate and share knowledge. Our background in the library community, combined with our commercial experience, allows us to support academic library staff across the UK.
Service provision to other sectors
Jisc Collections offers services to other sectors and works with museums, public libraries, national consortia, membership organisations, health-related library groups, and pharmaceutical companies.
Name and Registered Office
Jisc Services Limited
One Castlepark
Tower Hill
Bristol
BS2 0JA
Company No: 2881024
VAT No: GB 197 0632 86
Registered in England and Wales
Lasted updated: March 2016
