Month: April 2026

5 Reasons to join the National Acquisitions Group (NAG)

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What is NAG

National Acquisitions Group, which will hereafter be referred to as NAG, is a membership organisation involving Librarians (public, academic, and specialist), suppliers, and publishers. Active since 1985, it is focused on providing a voice for everyone associated with the Library supply ecosystem, fostering conversation about general direction and helping to facilitate the sharing of ideas regarding hot topics of the day.

In their own words “For everyone interested in the acquisition management and development of library resources. NAG is run by its members for its members…NAG is a voice for everyone associated with library and information resources – librarians, information officers, publishers and service suppliers – providing leadership and a source of shared expertise for its membership.“

Why Are You Promoting It

For the avoidance of doubt, I am completely biased. I was on the NAG Executive Committee for over 5 years and enjoyed the work that I participated in within the group. I have been an alumni/supporter since and strongly believe that it is an excellent, well organised, and highly skilled organisation with an eminently important mission

I am also taking part in the NAG Seminar on Wed 20th and Thu 21st May 2026 in Nottingham. I am talking all about People being better than systems (with a small taster here) and would love to see as many of you there as possible as there is a huge range of excellent presentations, plenarys, and activities going on

All of that notwithstanding, NAG is a worthwhile and important organisation. The main rason why I spent so long working with them and continue to support them is that I strongly believe that this group enriches the sector and, if your institution is not currently a member, it would strongly benefit from joining.

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Amazon gives the public a taste of the treatment academic libraries have been highlighting for years

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For over a decade, the Amazon Kindle has been the poster child for the digital reading revolution. It promised a library in your pocket, a seamless partnership between the tactile world of paper and the convenience of the cloud. But for millions of users clinging to older, perfectly functional devices, that promise has recently curdled. As reported by the BBC, Amazon’s decision to effectively ‘stealth-brick’ older models by removing their ability to access the Kindle Store and receive new ebooks is more than just a hardware sunsetting, it is a public-facing masterclass in the fragility of digital ownership.

While the general public reacts with a mix of confusion and outrage, those within the world of academic and public libraries are experiencing a profound sense of déjà vu. For years, librarians have been the canaries in the coal mine, documenting the steady erosion of consumer rights and the aggressive pivot from ownership to high-cost, restrictive, access models. Amazon’s recent move is not an isolated tech glitch, it is the consumer-facing manifestation of a commercial strategy that has plagued institutional knowledge for a generation.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

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5 Pillars of a Strong Reading List Policy & Guidelines

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In the complex machinery of a university library, metadata and discovery systems are the engine, the powerful and intricate components that keep the gears turning. But even the most sophisticated engine is motionless without the right input. If discovery is the engine, then the Reading List is the fuel.

Reading lists are the primary vehicle for the identification and acquisition of teaching materials. For students, they aren’t just lists of books; they are essential navigational maps that help them organise their time and prioritise their cognitive load. However, for a reading list service to run efficiently, it requires more than just software. It needs a robust framework.

For this reason, a policy and supporting guidelines are essential to delivering this service. Like many Library policies, this will come in different flavours for each University. In that respect, this article will focus on examples from the University of York Reading List Policy and University of York Reading List Guidelines, to explain five essential elements that a robust policy should contain.

Image by Eli Digital Creative from Pixabay

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