How Do Academic Libraries Adapt Within an Ever Increasing Marketized Higher Education Landscape? A Comparison and Analysis of University Library Mission Statements in Germany and the UK

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a research project which set out to identify and analyze changes in the mission statements of academic libraries within the context of their institutional strategies. The method used was an analysis of the mission statements of UK and German libraries and a questionnaire survey which was sent to all managers of UK and German university libraries. Cross-national comparisons establish differences and similarities in the respective library landscapes. Marketization is highlighted as a strategic driver of change. Of 265 university libraries investigated, 86 UK (57.3%) and 38 (33%) German universities were found to have mission statements or similar. A thematic analysis established “University support” as the most frequently occurring theme. The results of the mission statement analysis are corroborated by the survey, with managers placing “Supporting the university” first. Of 265 library managers e-mailed, 91 responded (34%). In terms of UK and German library mission statements, their analysis reveals that support of their institution is their most common, mutual goal; however, the UK particularly focuses on improving the competitive advantage of their university indicating a more business-practice-based approach.

Keywords:

• Anglo-German comparison
• marketization
• mission statement
• questionnaire survey
• university library

Notes

1 Since the end of universal free HE in 1998, students have had to pay a fee to enroll at a UK HEI. This excludes Scotland where the Scottish Parliament abolished tuition fees in 1999.

2 Student fees have increase from an initial £1000 per year in 1998 to £9250 per year in 2017 (Pells, 2017).

3 The theme “university support” has been taken quite literally from the mission statements, most of which mention “supporting the university” or similar phrase verbatim. How this “support” is achieved and what it entails has been subsumed under other themes, if so mentioned in the mission statements. This theme should be understood more as an indication of feeling of purpose than the execution of how it is achieved.

4 However, a smaller administrative charge (around EUR120-EUR250) has to be paid per term to access university facilities. Overall the percentage of students who attend university in Germany is smaller than in the UK (27% compared to 48%) and the services provided in the UK are more (e.g., university accommodation) (Coughlan, 2015; Oltermann, 2016).