Introduction

This chapter considers how colleagues in estates and facilities and library directorates work together to ensure the provision of high-quality and fitfor- purpose library facilities for students and staff. University libraries are regarded as a key service provision for students and the library aligns with the institution's strategic vision, mission and values in providing an excellent student experience, delivering operational excellence and supporting learning, teaching and research. Libraries are well recognised as being one of the key considerations when students are making university choices. The requirement to comply with legislation, particularly in relation to safety, is the bedrock of service delivery, while enabling a positive experience for all library users. Estates and facilities and library teams are both critical in delivering an excellent customer experience.

Estates and facilities teams have responsibilities across the whole university estate and need to prioritise the allocation of their staff and financial resources, taking all areas into account when considering repairs, maintenance and capital projects as well as provision of services. It is for library teams to develop elements of capital business cases for improvements to the library, explaining the benefits of proposed changes, and working with estates and facilities, who will contribute their understanding of the technical aspects and costs. Both capital and ongoing revenue implications need to be included in such business cases, with sufficient allocations being agreed before submission to the relevant governance and finance committees for approval before works can proceed. Both teams should have regular meetings with a clear agenda that covers operational and development activities, should work together to respond to changing priorities in university strategy, and need to interpret how this is reflected in physical infrastructure and service provision.