Libraries

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.

web accessibility
Library Accessibility Group webinar: Revised ADA Title II in the Library
The slides and recording from the webinar on August 27, 2024 are now available.
Academy Owned Scholarly Publishing Landscape Report
Launched in the fall of 2022, the Big Ten Academic Alliance [BTAA] landscape assessment of academy owned scholarly publishing activities explores the shared challenges and opportunities facing publishing programs and operations within the Big Ten institutions.
big ten open books
Big Ten Open Books
Big Ten Open Books connects readers everywhere to fully accessible, trusted books from leading university presses. Established as a new model for open-access publishing focused on equity and inclusion, we invite you to explore our Gender and Sexuality studies collection.
BIG Collection: Resource Access Policy Harmonization Report
The Resource Access Policy Harmonization pilot team is pleased to share their final report. Aspirational in nature, the report includes the new BTAA Resource Sharing Agreement plus Scanning Standards; reaffirms the Principles and Protocols for Sharing Special Collections within the Big Ten; and articulates important next steps for future pilot projects and working group investigations.

Library News


Big Ten Academic Alliance & AM sign landmark access deal

Dec 6, 2022, 14:19 PM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance has announced a landmark deal with AM. Students, researchers, and scholars at 15 of the leading research institutions in the United States will now have unified access to millions of pages of essential primary source content from the entire AM core collections portfolio.

AM logo

 

The Big Ten Academic Alliance has announced a landmark deal with AM. Students, researchers, and scholars at 15 of the leading research institutions in the United States will now have unified access to millions of pages of essential primary source content from the entire AM core collections portfolio.

Working closely with BTAA and the framework of their strategic Big Collection initiative, AM has rolled out its Impact purchase model across the entire group. The ability to draw on this breadth of content in a united way across the BTAA membership will create opportunities for inter-institution research and collaborative projects at an unprecedented scale, whilst at the same time allowing individual members to focus on their own local academic strengths and specialisms.

Maurice York, Director, Library Initiatives at the Big Ten Academic Alliance, stated, "We’re excited about this outstanding prospect for our member universities and for this deepening of an already long and highly productive partnership. We are very pleased with this compelling opportunity to unlock high quality content of great value to faculty and students across our consortium."

Ben Cartwright, Executive Director, North American Sales at AM explains, "We’ve been partnering with the BTAA for a considerable time to make sure we are offering the greatest value in support of the group’s mission. The agreement is just the beginning. We’re eager and excited to help the institutions get the most out of our products, and to support the BTAA’s mission to advance academic excellence across their members."

Khal Rudin, Executive Chair at AM and Senior Vice President at SAGE Publishing, said "The BTAA’s objective to optimize student and faculty access to content aligns closely with AM’s vision to place primary sources at the heart of education. Providing this vast amount of AM content to the entire BTAA community offers exciting new teaching and research opportunities for generations to come."


About the Big Ten Academic Alliance

The Big Ten Academic Alliance is the United States’ preeminent model for effective collaboration among research universities. For more than half a century, these world-class institutions have advanced their academic missions, generated unique opportunities for students and faculty, and served the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources, and collaborating on innovative programs. 

The fifteen world-class libraries of the Big Ten Academic Alliance members include Indiana University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the University of Chicago.

About AM

Adam Matthew is now AM. The brand has changed, but behind the new look, it’s the same dedicated team with a passion for primary sources. 

AM’s digital collections and technology platforms enrich the study, research, and teaching of primary sources. AM works with libraries, archives, and heritage institutions to digitize the world’s historical and cultural knowledge. With AM, customers can discover award-winning archival collections, learn how to use them, or create their own.