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Annual report-o-graphic 2020-21

The achievements, successes and challenges of the 2020-21 academic year are celebrated with key data and customer feedback.

The Libraries’ contributions to learning, research and community engagement are presented in a snappy new Library Annual Report-o-graphic.

The report demonstrates the commitment of all library staff to put our users first and to develop meaningful partnerships with colleagues across the University to support research and learning.

I am proud of our achievements and the creativity of staff displayed in this report.

Masud Khokhar

Masud Khokhar, University Librarian, reflected on the previous academic year and said:

“It was another year of uncertainty presented by the pandemic, but library staff rose to the challenge to continue to innovate and provide high quality resources and support for learning and research. I am proud of our achievements and the creativity of staff displayed in this report. We came together, embraced the digital shift, and imagined a better future with the creation of Knowledge for all: the Libraries Vision for 2030. I am looking forward to working together on this next step of our journey.”

The report highlights key areas of work in another year of remote and hybrid working.

We continued to increase online access to ebooks and articles for teaching and research. Our click-and-collect service made our physical collections accessible, before self-issue returned in July 2021. A major reorganisation project in the Brotherton Library delivered a better user experience. It is now much easier to browse and find items on the shelves.

We provided academic skills and professional development for students and researchers with online teaching, workshops, one-to-one consultations and enquiries support. In addition, our dissertation conference inspired and supported taught students with their final research projects. The Open Research Lunch events provided a popular online venue for exploring the culture and practice of open research with colleagues across the UK.

The Galleries used creative and innovative ways to bring our collections to new digital audiences and communities, increasing the number of events by 44% on the previous year. They also took TikTok by storm: the most successful video received 216,900 views, adding up to a total watch time of 779 hours, which is equal to watching all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies 15.5 times!

See the Library annual report-o-graphic 2020-21.

Keep in touch with the latest news and developments as we begin work to make the new Libraries vision 2030 a reality.

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