Collection Development and the sustainability of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe

Libraries are currently, and have been for several years, experiencing a period of great change in their objectives and functions. Historically, the collection has been the core of research libraries’mission and central to its existence, influencing the way in which they are organised and funded.
New challenges are posed by new formats and emerging models in research, digital technologies and services, access to information and infrastructure.
While the nature and needs of STM (Science, Technology, and Medicine) appear to lend themselves more readily to these new formats and emerging models, HSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) publishing faces substantial obstacles if it is to avoid marginalisation.
This paper considers strategies to ensure the survival and sustainability of HSS originallanguage publishing in Europe and how
humanities scholarly publications, as with all research, need now to be even more visible, available, accessible and innovative.
Emerging statistical trends are examined, the variety of publishing and economic models involved are illustrated, semantic interoperability and digital humanities initiatives highlighted. In particular, the specific needs of different disciplines in terms of metrics, formats and publishing models will be analysed and the importance of collaborative acquisition programmes and their role in granting access to resources for all involved research niches in libraries considered.
This presentation also explores the shift in the approach of libraries to collection development and how this impacts directly on authors, research output, and publishers, posing the problem of the sustainability for all the different actors involved: authors, publishers, intermediaries, libraries, faculty, and students. The paper will finally look at the community engagement and discussion as an essential means to discover working models for different types of institutions, accelerate the levels of innovation and perception within the society and ensure the safeguard of the cultural vitality and heritage for future generations.