The British Library is facing significant budget cuts while still aiming to fulfill its mission of enabling access and supporting research. This has required developing new digitization and funding models, moving from selective "boutique" digitization to larger-scale "mass digitization" projects pursued through public/private partnerships. Examples discussed include newspaper digitization through a partnership with Brightsolid and book digitization through agreements with Microsoft and Google. While innovative approaches are needed, traditional efficiency improvements also remain important to make progress despite budget challenges.

1. SLIC Innovation & Development Day 2 nd November 2011 Managing Innovation with Reducing Budgets Steve Morris Director of Finance & Corporate Services The British Library

2. British Library Historical Collection iPad App.

3. A wealth of resources

4. British Library 2020 Vision Guarantee access for future generations Enable access to everyone who wants to do research Support research communities in key areas for social and economic benefit Enrich the cultural life of the nation Lead and collaborate in growing the world’s knowledge base www.bl.uk/2020vision

5. All that….and make the cuts as well?! Never any Government funding for digitisation 2010 Comprehensive Spending review meant: 3% in year funding cut in 2010/11 15% reduction in operating grant halving of our capital grant Represents lowest real terms funding level since BL created in 1972 staffing already reduced by over 200 in eighteen months major reductions to acquisition budgets many “discretionary” budgets halved Traditional commercial income (Document Supply) in continuing decline New delivery models the only way to square the circle illustrated by evolution of our approach to digitisation

6. Boutique Digitisation

7. Characteristics of Boutique Digitisation Self-selecting i.e. obvious treasures Drivers: cultural restitution, wider public access Sometimes private sponsorship, especially for iconic items Subsume costs e.g. hosting External Funding. e.g. Dept of Ed

8. Mass Digitisation

9. Why Get into Mass Digitisation? Digitisation of holdings Improving access to holdings online – Public Value Remit Access to new funding sources Using skills / technologies not inherent in the Library Revenue Positive outcome: PR benefit.

10. Mass Library Digitisation Projects – Funding and Sustainability Models Public Sector / Lottery Funding – usually free, open to all, few, if any user restrictions.. Traditional secondary publisher models. e.g. Gale, ProQuest, Search Engine Model. e.g. Microsoft and Google Hybrid Models – Public / Private Partnerships.

11. The digitisation of newspapers

13. Newspaper digitisation – British Library and bright solid partnership May 2010 – partnership to digitise 40 million pages from the national newspaper collection announced by the British Library and bright solid 10-year partnership to make millions of historic newspaper pages available online for the first time First-hand reporting on great historical events (The Great Exhibition, Crimean War, sinking of The Titanic , etc) and a wealth of detail on every aspect of local and national life A mix of out-of-copyright (pre-1900) and in-copyright material, subject to consent from relevant rightsholders Digitised pages to be available paid-for via the web or free on-site at the British Library; a creative solution for Higher Education will be found On expiry of the contract the material will likely be free to the nation First tranche of material to become available online in 2011

14. Microsoft – British Library 100,000 19 th Century Books

16. Key Features of the Google deal 250,000 titles to be digitised Date range 1700-1870 BL chooses (as long as not duplicating) Off site & overseas Free to view on Google books BL free to re-version & reuse as it wishes - non-commercial use -eg Europeana

17. Summary nothing unique about the BL I’m sure innovative business models not the only way traditional efficiency and continuous improvement a crucial under-pinning but new approaches crucial to allow us to be credible in working towards our medium term vision and goals several new partnerships under discussion some (not all) will bear fruit only when you look back that you realise how far you’ve come!