ACRL becomes key dissemination partner for the NMC Horizon Report > Library Edition

CHICAGO; AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) has joined the network of partners behind the NMC Horizon Report > Library Edition. Since the inaugural report in 2014, the academic and research library-focused edition of the NMC Horizon Report series has been a collaboration between the NMC, the University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Chur, the German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB) Hannover, and ETH-Bibliothek Zürich. In their new role as key dissemination partner, ACRL will help produce and distribute the NMC Horizon Report > 2017 Library Edition. The release is scheduled for the ACRL 2017 Conference, to be held March 22-25, 2017, in Baltimore, Maryland.

This edition leverages the renowned NMC Horizon Project model that extends the research formally into the world of academic and research libraries. An expert panel will identify the key trends, significant challenges, and developments in technology that will be important to the field worldwide over the next five years. The 2014 and 2015 reports have generated more than 1.7 million downloads across nearly 200 countries. ACRL will increase the visibility of this work given their network of more than 11,000 academic and research librarians. Their bi-annual conference attracts thousands of library professionals across the globe that are interested in the latest research and analysis to inform their strategic planning.

“ACRL is a natural fit for this project as they are a world-class organization with a proven track record of keeping library professionals on the pulse of important trends in the field,” said Larry Johnson, CEO of the NMC and Co-Principal Investigator of the project. “With ACRL as a partner, we plan to effect decision-making on an even broader scale.”

“ACRL is delighted to collaborate with the NMC, whose reports are widely read and respected in higher education. The report provides so much valuable information to help academic and research librarians plan for the future,” said Mary Ellen K. Davis, ACRL Executive Director. “We are looking forward to releasing it during the ACRL 2017 Conference in Baltimore, March 22-25. I know that its release will be highly anticipated and that it will stimulate many thoughtful conversations.”

“Through the partnership with ACRL, ETH-Bibliothek expects an even broader discourse on the NMC Horizon Report > Library Edition in the United States,” noted Franziska Regner, Co-Principal Investigator of the report and Head of Innovation and Development at ETH-Bibliothek, Zürich. “We look forward to this broadening discourse which is an excellent addition to the ongoing dissemination activities in Europe and on other continents.”

“The cooperation with ACRL demonstrates that libraries in Europe, the USA, and many other countries are developing and discussing new services,” shared Lambert Heller, Co-Principal Investigator of the report and Head of the Open Science Lab at TIB Hannover. “This close international exchange is essential if libraries want to help shape the digital age.”

The format of the report is designed to provide library leaders with more in-depth insight into how the trends and challenges are accelerating and impeding the adoption of technology, along with their implications for policy, leadership, and practice. The subject matter in this report will be identified through a qualitative research process designed and conducted by the NMC that engages an international body of experts in libraries, education, technology, research, business, and other fields around a set of research questions. The NMC Horizon Report > 2017 Library Edition will detail the areas in which these experts are in strong agreement.

The report, like all others in the series, will be made available online, free of charge, and released under a Creative Commons license to facilitate its widespread use, easy duplication, and broad distribution.

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About the New Media Consortium (NMC)

Founded in 1993, the NMC is an international community of experts in educational technology — from the practitioners who work with new technologies on campuses every day; to the visionaries who are shaping the future of learning at think tanks, labs, and research centers; to its staff and board of directors; to the expert panels and others helping the NMC conduct cutting edge research. The role of the NMC is to help hundreds of member universities, colleges, museums, and organizations drive innovation across their campuses. This is accomplished by the NMC performing research that catalyzes discussion, convening people around new ideas, and building communities that encourage exploration and experimentation. To learn more, visit www.nmc.org.

About the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)

ACRL is the higher education association for librarians. Representing more than 11,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals, ACRL develops programs, products, and services to help academic and research librarians learn, innovate, and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning and transforming scholarship. ACRL is the largest division of the American Library Association (ALA). ACRL’s current membership accounts for nearly 20% of the total ALA membership. To learn more, visit www.ala.org/acrl.

About ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

The ETH-Bibliothek, established in 1855, is the main library serving the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the largest public natural scientific and technical library in Switzerland. It has a major influence on technical developments in Swiss libraries in general. The extensive information resources held by the ETH-Bibliothek range from traditional media such as printed books and journals to electronic data resources. The collections cover all the specialist fields of education and research at ETH Zürich: Architecture and Civil Engineering, Engineering Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, System-oriented Natural Sciences, and Management and Social Sciences. For more information, visit www.library.ethz.ch/en.

About the German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB), Hannover

The TIB, founded in 1959 in Hannover, is the German National Library of Science and Technology, and also encompasses the fields of architecture, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. In its specialist fields it provides researchers and industry practitioners and, as a university library, students and teaching staff of Leibniz Universität Hannover with literature and information in both printed and electronic form. The library has outstanding collections of fundamental and highly specialized literature on science and technology. The collections also comprise knowledge objects, irrespective of the physical form, such as research data, 3D models, and audiovisual media. To learn more about TIB, visit www.tib.eu/en.

About University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Chur

The University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Chur was founded in 1963 and is a member of the Universities of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland (FHO). With approximately 1600 students, HTW Chur is a public federal institution with national and international flair, where bachelor, master and further education studies are offered in the six faculties of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Information Science, Management, Media and Communication, ICT/Technology, and Tourism. For more information on HTW Chur, visit: www.htwchur.ch/en.html.