The UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme: A Perspective from the LOCKSS Technical Support Service

Abstract

Over the last decade libraries have increasingly shifted journal access from print to digital. The preference of users for online content, the demand of readers for a broader range of content, and the rising costs of library shelf space all contributed to bringing about this change. A variety of approaches has emerged to support access to these digital journals. The common ones require libraries to access content through publishers, which invariably means libraries lose long-term control of the journals to which they have subscribed. As an alternative, the Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS) approach enables libraries to regain custody of journal assets while maintaining the access and licence terms stipulated by the publisher. This article describes the UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme; a two-year JISC/CURL (Joint Information Systems Committee/Consortium of Research Libraries in the British Isles)-funded initiative to explore issues associated with the practical implementation of LOCKSS in the UK Higher Education institutions. It examines the pilot from the perspective of the LOCKSS Technical Support Service, a core component of the Pilot Programme.