The document discusses the role of the Transnational Library Liaison Manager at Middlesex University, which includes ensuring library access and resources for students at overseas campuses and partner institutions. It notes the challenges in licensing electronic resources for a large number of collaborative students due to varying partnership models and publisher restrictions. Over time, the university has worked to better understand licensing issues and extend appropriate access to resources for partners through customized library guides, authentication methods, and paid subscriptions.

1. ‘Slow and steady wins the race…’
An international partnership licensing
update from Middlesex University’
Illustration by Mrs josephine alvarez from Las Vagas
Helen Matthews
Transnational Library Liaison Manager

2. © Middlesex University
Transnational Library Liaison Manager’s Role
• Integrated library support for Transnational Education (TNE)
• Overseas campus librarians
• UK/overseas partners (Joint/Franchised/Validated),
• Ensuring access to the resources required.
• Negotiate with publishers for access to extend existing e-resource
subs
• Seek to influence publishers with the help of national bodies such as JISC
• Streamline processes and costs through publishers and providers
• Promote services and manage expectations of partners
• Consistent approach to selection, provision/management of e-
resources across all stakeholders, observing copyright /licence
restrictions
• Collection and management of data relating to services and partners
e.g. e-resource access rights, costs, usage stats. extended licences
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3. © Middlesex University
• UK core FTE 17,500 (including distance learners)
• Overseas campuses (students recruited by campus; enrolled in UK):
• Dubai 2500
• Mauritius 800
• Malta 200
— Now reported in HESA statistics as ‘Aggregate Offshore’
• 100+ Partnership Institutions
• 30 Overseas
• 14,000 collaborative students
Middlesex student numbers & overseas presence

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QAA Chapter B10 Guidance on Partnerships
“The fundamental principle underpinning all arrangements for
delivering learning opportunities with others is that the degree-
awarding body has ultimate responsibility for academic standards and
the quality of learning opportunities, regardless of where these
opportunities are delivered and who provides them.”
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/uk-quality-code-for-higher-education-
chapter-b10-managing-higher-education-provision-with-others1#.VrsqHE8Xu3Y

5. © Middlesex University
Type Definition
Joint A University programme and qualification, jointly designed, delivered
and assessed by the University and Partner and quality assured by the
University. Programme and student information are on Student
Management System
Validated A programme developed, delivered and assessed by a Partner and
awarded/ quality assured by the University.
Franchised A University programme and qualification, or part thereof, designed
assessed and quality assured by the University but delivered at and by
a partner. Programme and student information are on Student
Management System .
Main categories of collaborative programme at MDX

6. © Middlesex University
• Copyright and E-Resource Licence co-ordinators not consulted
during campus and partnership negotiations and set up
• Promises sharing resources made erroneously as negotiators
unaware of issues or using as marketing tool.
• Partnership organisations
• Don’t understand what they have agreed to
• Expect to receive access to resources they are not entitled to.
• Licence co-ordinators and publishers now more ‘clued up’ on who
is and is not entitled to be included in a licence
• HESA Overseas student reporting procedures changed along the
way - Students no longer included in main body, nor captured by
the licenses relying on these figures.
Not unique to Middlesex…?

7. © Middlesex University
Licensing challenges
Common questions asked by publishers/providers:
• How was the campus set up – independently or in collaboration with local
partner?
• Who recruits the students (Home institution or partner?) and where are they registered?
• Total number of students at partner institution i.e. % our students represent?
• Number of staff at partner? Who employs the staff?
• Who owns what? i.e. buildings, servers, resources
• Location of partnership: Country & address
• Library licence co-ordinators do not see partnership agreements
• Does publisher supply database and/or any other resources to partner?
• Will they have separate authenticated access to content from UK/home students?
• Wording of licences can be unclear
• JISC Decision Tool – Time/difficulty gathering data about partners (even
campuses), then lack of clarity of where Tool answers lead
• Providers’ inconsistent approach to determine ‘authorised user’ status
• Managing access – admin and tech, usage statistics

8. © Middlesex University
Process of extending access to campuses
• Share eResource to Proquest (SerialsSolutions) ‘Consortium edition’
(resource permission set)
• Arrange authentication; Open Athens, Shibboleth, EZproxy
• Need to identify the staff and students at partnerships
• Create bespoke Libguides and branded SS Summon/e-journals
pages, bespoke catalogue interface/Book Suggestion Form etc.
• Different process for franchises
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9. © Middlesex University Presentation title | 9

10. © Middlesex University
Dubai Discovery Platform
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11. © Middlesex University
Dubai catalogue
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12. © Middlesex University
Providing resources to franchises
• Promised resources Hendon students access
• Identify specific partnership resource needs. Only relevant publishers
contacted – ongoing process
• Still a variety of questions asked by publishers and lack of understanding
relating to definitions of partnerships
• Once agreed, subs embedded for subsequent renewals
• 2015 Report written to ‘manage resources’
• Growing acceptance by University that partnerships cannot access everything
• Libguides created for each partnership
• Permission groups set up in Athens/Shibboleth/ezproxy
• Chipping away, little by little…
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14. © Middlesex University
Partner support and complying with licences
• 2010 project to identify/extend licenses to overseas campuses:
• Access allowed to UK registered students anywhere (majority)
• Additional payment required, dependent on numbers (few)
• No to certain countries and some subjects such as Film, Sound & Broadcast
• 2014 Purchased Proquest Discovery Service ‘Consortium Edition’
• Allocates resources to campuses/controls Summon links
• Not authentication
• 2015 Bespoke ‘portlets’ developed for overseas campus libraries with
bespoke lists of resources and catalogue interfaces.
• 2015 Project looking at resources for franchises
• 2015 Met with JISC to discuss challenges of extending access
• 2016 LibGuides for franchises
• Paid for access
• Managing access
• Recognition that we need to ‘manage’ the franchised offering.

15. © Middlesex University
Future Solutions
• Concentrating on actual partner needs first and advocacy
- to continue reinforcing message internally
• Explore licensing with JISC Collections and eduserv
• LIS-PERL - Librarians to collaborate to seek solutions and
share best practice

16. © Middlesex University
Helen Matthews
Transnational Library Liaison Manager
h.matthews@mdx.ac.uk