Reflections on a benchmarking survey of research support provided by 1994 Group libraries

In April 2007, the Research Information Network (RIN) and Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL) published their joint report into researchers’ use of academic libraries and their services. This national study raised the profile of research support offered within university libraries, whilst identifying the challenges for librarians and researchers in ensuring effective provision in this key area. Whilst a national survey is very useful for identifying trends and behaviours, a national report includes the Russell Group universities, whose resources and ethos are significantly different from those at Loughborough, so we felt that benchmarking the 1994 Group of 19 internationally renowned research intensive universities2 best represented our sector and would yield the most meaningful comparisons; a survey was therefore carried out in late 2007. In this article we describe briefly the methodology and the key findings of this study and add to it by reflecting on the opportunities for further investigation into the increasingly important provision of research support.