UKB strategic plan 2007- 2010, management summary
'Beyond frontiers: scientific information provision in a new perspective'

Huge investments into research and education are needed to ensure the competitiveness of the Dutch knowledge economy. The university libraries and national library, collaborating in UKB, intend to make their own contribution to this effort by intensifying their cooperation in the next four years. They join forces to raise the level of the infrastructure for scientific information. An integrated, shared infrastructure will allow libraries to deliver tailor-made local information services which enable the universities to excel in research, education and patient care.
In the present information-rich environment, researchers' and students' productivity is increasingly determined by their ability to manage the information overload. Web 2.0 has introduced new standards for discovery and delivery. The UKB libraries take inspiration from the speed and ease of access introduced by internet search engines, and add their own traditional qualities: locally tailored services, validated content, information skills and integration into research and education.
On the one hand, interoperability is the key to an efficient information infrastructure, while on the other hand the vast resources needed to implement such an infrastructure can no longer be generated by individual institutions. Therefore, UKB's key policy objectives are to develop those facilities and services which by their very nature call for a collaborative effort.

Improve delivery of content:

jointly acquire content which is not available or easily accessible on the open internet;

jointly develop a publication infrastructure for the scientific output of the institutions;

jointly promote publication with open access;

jointly deal with imminent collection budget deficits.

Enhance the infrastructure for discovery and delivery:

jointly develop an efficient, integrated infrastructure for discovery and access, including both open and restricted information resources.

Support e-research and e-learning:

jointly develop facilities for e-learning

jointly develop facilities for e-science: storage, publication and valorisation of research output.

UKB actively seeks cooperation with other stakeholders in the scientific information network: SURFfoundation, teachers, researchers, students, and patient care staff, as well as information and systems vendors.

For more information, contact Inge Angevaare, UKB Secretariat.

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