In September 2019, The Combined Regions instigated a snapshot survey of UK library authorities regarding the possibility of creating a central reserve collection for the purposes of sustaining and improving resource discovery, and reducing the pressures on local storage and services. The context for this research was the fact that many authorities were/are considering whether to reduce or remove their local reserve collections, or have already had to take difficult decisions in this area. Efficiencies and economies of scale could potentially be realised by approaching this challenge in a holistic and practicable way.
The results of this survey, which got a strong response, are available here:
TCR Reserve Collections Survey Key Responses 2019
The Combined Regions now plans to use the feedback provided to inform discussions and work with various partner organisations, with a view to delivering tangible support for library authorities and improvement for library users.