ULA Annual Conference 2022

Librarians are often referred to as information professionals and talk of the "information industry," but how much do we actually know about the business side of publishing and library vendors? As vendors and publishers continue to consolidate, and costs increase for libraries and our communities, the business side of libraries deserves greater scrutiny from the library community which often shies away from critically examining our role in the greater information industry. Building our awareness and engaging in critical discourse of the library industry is essential for securing our bargaining power, navigating our role as stewards of our collections, and situating our profession in relationship to broader economic forces within the information business.

Learning objectives:
Increase awareness of the current business landscape of scholarly and popular publishing industries, and why it matters for libraries of all types 
Gain greater understanding of the library software and service industries, including consolidation among vendors and potential impacts on libraries
Explore the economics of the information industry and the role of libraries as intermediaries for information access