Shared digital library widens Scottish access to journals

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Scotland’s university researchers will benefit from a shared digital library that should widen access to over 1,500 specialist journals and publications.
 
The new Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL) has been backed by all of Scotland’s higher education institutions, who hope it will support research, learning and teaching. It is also expected to stimulate research both across different disciplines and between institutions.

JISC Collections negotiated this pilot scheme, which will be led by the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL). Three publishers, Cambridge University Press, the American Chemical Society and Springer, have already signed up to the scheme.  

'Differential access to journals has been a problem for some researchers but with the advent of SHEDL we are now providing them with a level playing field. It not only provides universities with a greater range of materials, but will also encourage collaboration between institutions as it gives researchers access to journals on the fringes of their chosen disciplines,' commented Sheila Cannell, the chair of SCURL and director of library services at the University of Edinburgh.