Libraries
The Libraries of the Big Ten Academic Alliance are aligned in the vision of uniting our separate collections into one collection, shared and fully networked: the BIG Collection. By this phrase we mean a holistic and comprehensive understanding of what a library "collection" is: not simply the things we hold, but our services; our people; our expertise; our technology; and our infrastructure.
In advancing this future of interdependence and excellence, we are guided by our North Star in everything that we do:
In order to advance a just, trustworthy, scalable & sustainable open knowledge ecosystem, make open, more equitable scholarship our lead purpose.
On these pages, you'll find more about the services, programs, and community that are advancing this vision in a principles-centered, mission-driven, values-aligned way.
ADA Title II & Libraries
Catch the webinar replay + slides from our August 27 event. Now posted on our Accessibility page.
Big Ten Open Books
A new model for open-access publishing—free, trusted titles from Big Ten university presses..
Shared Print White Paper
Explore the vision for a collaborative, distributed archive across Big Ten libraries.
Research Matters: UMD Talk Show Focuses on the CIC
Opportunities and impact were the focus of the University of Maryland's "Research Matters" program about UMD becoming a member institution of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation.
CIC Executive Director, Barbara McFadden Allen, joined UMD's Senior Vice President and Provost, Mary Ann Rankin, along with UMD Dean of Libraries, Patricia Steele, to talk about the many opportunities for collaboration between UMD and the member universities of the CIC.
Hosted by Don Kettl, UMD Dean of Public Policy, the conversation centered around CIC programs for faculty development, student opportunities, and research synergies. Steele elaborated on the access to CIC universities' library resources. Through the CIC's award-winning UBorrow program, students throughout the CIC have access to 90 million volumes from across the consortium's libraries. Along with the CIC's Shared Print initiative and Government Documents project, Steel said the relationship with the CIC was "transformational."
For more on the University of Maryland entering the CIC, please visit the expansion area of the CIC web site.