Why join SCONUL?

SCONUL advocates effectively for our diverse membership, speaking with a single voice on the strategic issues facing the sector and arguing for the value and needs of libraries with government, regulators, service providers and many others. We only exist with the energy and valuable time from our members and we need you to help us continue to drive forward.

We provide support and leadership for the sector, bringing members together with external and international thinkers to support active consideration of service and wider sector developments. We share intelligence through events, case studies and briefing papers driven by our Board and strategy groups.

Our strategy groups and community of interest groups are available to staff at member institutions to join and are a great way of contributing to debate about the future of the sector and widening your networks.

We offer staff a range of services and resources to help you progress in your career, engage with the wider library community and understand the library landscape more fully. We help our members stay fully briefed on the latest developments, for example of AI.

What's new for 2024?

We will be welcoming a new Access scheme website, making it easier for staff and students to use this valuable resource.

Our new Statistics platform is also due in winter 2024, with a redesign of our question set, wholly informed by our members. 

See our Delivering our Strategy document for more detail on upcoming projects, events and news.

Representing the community and advocating for you

SCONUL works with other bodies to:

• Negotiate better deals on library resources and bring down the costs for all. 

• Highlight the importance of libraries in the national press and support our members to do likewise.

• Develop and showcase best practice in emerging areas and develop practical steps to encourage members to follow suit.

Supercharging your career

• Full programme of virtual events, free for members and access the library of recorded events.

• Funded programmes and bursary places available throughout the year.

• Tailored groups available to support your transition into challenging new roles.

• Access to action learning sets to enhance decision making skills and prepare for leadership roles.

• Mentoring scheme, now available to a wider range of staff, benefit from the skills and knowledge of our skilled mentors.

• Assistance with HEA Fellowship at all levels. Understand how to construct your portfolio.

• Access to the AHUA Professional Service Directors Programme.

• Community of Interest groups and Strategy groups – bring the national into your institutional work and share your best practice.

• Access our Leading Libraries recordings and materials to enhance your leadership practice.

Leading change with our EDI work 

• Advance HE anti-racism training available at a subsidised price for all institutions.

• Quarterly EDI newsletter, with practical tips, produced in conjunction with national and regional partners.

• Positive action case studies, showcasing sector graduate traineeships and next steps for organisations.

• Leading the way with the publication of our EDI statistics report highlighting the ethnic make-up of the sector and our next steps for further diversity in the workforce.

Keep up to date with all the issues with our packed events programme

• Upcoming events in 2023-24 – Support for undertaking HEA Fellowships, AI and much more. Could you be a speaker at our next event?

• Developing a range of briefings on crucial and evolving topics in librarianship, including an Introduction to Controlled Digital Lending and Generative AI.

And all the rest…

• Our Design Awards will be making a welcome comeback in 2025, highlighting excellence in library redesign. 

• We support all organisations, but our small and specialist forum takes extra care of our smaller members and brings them together regularly to discuss issues that can be unique to them. Everyone’s opinion matters.

• Benefit from using Unsub at a discounted rate to interrogate your journal subscriptions and deals.