Academic Libraries North

What Academic Libraries North does

Academic Libraries North (ALN) is a UK non-profit consortium of 33 higher education libraries across northern England that provides collaborative activities and mutual support for its member institutions. Its service portfolio comprises an annual conference (ALN26 drew 269 delegates), a Staff Development Programme with structured Skill Up sessions, Thriving in Your Career events for UK Ethnic Minority colleagues, five Special Interest Groups (Accessibility, Learning Spaces, Research Support, Service Engagement & Impact, Special Collections & Archives), eight Communities of Practice (Academic Skills, Copyright, Metadata & Linked Data, User Experience, etc.), a Mentoring Scheme, the Frontline Forum, and the EDI Innovation Fund offering up to £1,000 per project. All website materials are released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0.

The technology underpinning ALN's operations is intentionally lightweight and non-proprietary: a WordPress website accessibility-checked against W3C/WAI guidelines, with Eventbrite and Ticket Tailor for event ticketing, JiscMail for mailing lists, SurveyMonkey for feedback, and Microsoft Teams for virtual events. No mobile app, API, SDK, or AI capability is disclosed; ALN is positioned as a coordinating body rather than a technology vendor. Administrative infrastructure is delivered through affiliation with SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries), with Development Managers reachable via [email protected].

Revenue is generated from member institution contributions (recurring subscription-like membership fees), event-related fees, and external sponsorship for conferences and programmes (e.g., EBSCO, Covidence, University of Leeds Libraries). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Marketing and member engagement run through Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn, a Weekly Update email newsletter, and the WordPress site. Select customers and partners span UK higher education libraries and adjacent library-service bodies such as NHS Knowledge and Library Services, the National Acquisitions Group, EBSCO, and Covidence.

Name

Academic Libraries North

Legal name

Academic Libraries North

Website

https://academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Academic Libraries North is a UK non-profit consortium of 33 higher education libraries in northern England delivering collaborative activities, conferences, staff development, Special Interest Groups, Communities of Practice, mentoring, and EDI grant funding for its member institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Library consortium services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Group Work, Breakout & Collaborative Document/Workspace Tools (EDAFAGAE)

Keywords

• Library consortium services
• Academic library collaboration
• Staff development programmes
• Professional communities of practice
• Equality diversity inclusion

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: ALN operates as a consortium of 33 higher education libraries in the north of England. Funding comes from member institution contributions, event fees, and external sponsorship for events and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Academic Libraries North (ALN) is a non-profit consortium of 33 higher education libraries in the north of England that delivers collaborative activities, staff development programmes, conferences, Special Interest Groups, and Communities of Practice. Members participate through institutional membership and gain access to events, resources (UX Toolkit, Mental Health & Wellbeing Advocacy Resource, Sensory Spaces Resources, Learning Spaces Resources), a Mentoring Scheme, the Frontline Forum, the EDI Innovation Fund (up to £1,000 per project), and the Skill Up with ALN series.

Product overview

Academic Libraries North (ALN) is a consortium of 33 higher education libraries in northern England that provides collaborative activities, mutual support, and professional development opportunities for its member institutions. ALN does not offer a technology product but rather functions as a coordinating body offering conferences, staff development programmes, Special Interest Groups, Communities of Practice, and grant funding (EDI Innovation Fund). The portfolio includes educational events (conferences, Skill Up sessions, Thriving in Your Career events), professional communities (UX Toolkit, Mental Health & Wellbeing Advocacy Resource, Learning Spaces resources), and collaborative networks (Special Interest Groups and Communities of Practice covering areas from accessibility to copyright to research support). The consortium also administers a mentoring scheme and Frontline Forum for frontline library staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ALN Annual Conferences Annual conferences bringing together library professionals from the 33 member institutions for knowledge sharing, networking, and sector debate. ALN26 was themed 'Reimagining Openness in Academic Libraries' and delivered both online (119 delegates) and in-person (150 delegates) components.
• Staff Development Programme Annual programme of events, workshops, and training opportunities for library staff at member institutions, running across each academic year (e.g., 2025/2026, 2026/2027). Designed to support continuing professional development across the consortium.
• Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Ongoing themed groups covering Accessibility, Learning Spaces, Research Support, Service Engagement & Impact, and Special Collections & Archives, plus the ALN Leaders Network. SIGs provide sustained cross-institutional collaboration on specific library topics.
• Communities of Practice (CoPs) Ongoing collaborative communities covering Academic Librarians, Academic Skills, Copyright, Customer Services, Inter-Library Loans, Metadata & Linked Data, Partnership Development, and User Experience, where peer library staff share practice and solve shared problems.
• Skill Up with ALN Series A series of hour-long introductory sessions demystifying different library roles and areas with glossaries of key terms. Covers partnerships work, research support, academic librarians, acquisitions, and special collections.
• EDI Innovation Fund Small grants programme (up to £1,000 per project) funding EDI initiatives at member institutions, with funded projects including Neurodiverse Library Leaders, Library access for refugees, Inclusive Imaginations, and Human Library Events.
• ALN Mentoring Scheme Mentorship programme pairing library professionals for career development and peer support, with recruitment opening in waves and information sessions provided for prospective mentees.
• Frontline Forum Online community for library staff who work directly with users, providing peer networking, best practice sharing, and professional development opportunities for frontline colleagues.
• Mental Health & Wellbeing Advocacy Resource Shared resource providing guidance, case studies, policy context, and advocacy materials that member libraries can draw on for mental health and wellbeing work in academic library settings.
• UX Toolkit Shared toolkit of UX practice resources covering UX Prototyping, UX Ideation, UX Data Analysis, and UX Methodologies, available across the consortium membership.
• Sensory Spaces Resources Resources and guidance to support member libraries in creating sensory-friendly spaces for academic library users.
• Learning Spaces Resources Resources and guidance for designing and managing learning spaces in academic libraries, drawing on collective member experience.
• Thriving in Your Career Events Free face-to-face events for UK Ethnic Minority colleagues exploring career progression and navigating structural barriers, with career development workshops, keynote speakers, and lightning talks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 269 total delegates (119 online + 150 in-person) attended the ALN26 conference
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CovidencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Covidence is sponsoring the ALN Systematic Reviews Event (May 2026) hosted by Newcastle University. Covidence provides evidence synthesis software used in systematic reviews and is positioning itself within the ALN research support community.
• National Acquisitions Group (NAG)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025NAG partnered with ALN's Procurement Community of Practice to deliver a 'Skill Up with ALN – Introduction to Acquisitions' session (September 2025). This collaboration broadens the reach of both professional groups beyond their usual constituencies.
• ThinkCheck SubmitminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2024ThinkCheck Submit is an initiative to raise awareness of trustworthy journals and publishers. ALN's Research Support Group collaborated with ThinkCheck Submit on an event about navigating scholarly communication and avoiding predatory publishers (December 2024).
• Scholarly Publishing in TransitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2024Scholarly Publishing in Transition is an Austria-wide initiative working on predatory publishing and scholarly communication. They partnered with ALN's Research Support Group for the Austrian-UK Librarian Mash-Up event on predatory publishing (December 2024).
• EBSCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2024EBSCO is a sponsor of the 'Thriving in Your Career' event for UK Ethnic Minority colleagues (July 2024), along with SCONUL and University of Leeds Libraries. As a major library resource provider, EBSCO's sponsorship indicates a strategic interest in the ALN network.
• University of Leeds LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2024University of Leeds Libraries co-sponsored the 'Thriving in Your Career 3' event in July 2024, providing lunch and refreshments. Leeds Libraries staff are active participants in ALN activities and contribute to event delivery.
• NHS Knowledge and Library ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024NHS Knowledge and Library Services partnered with ALN's Service Engagement & Impact Group to co-host an online event on Value and Impact in Libraries (April 2024). This cross-sector partnership brings together healthcare and academic library perspectives on demonstrating library value.
• SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCONUL provides administrative infrastructure for ALN. The ALN Development Managers are contactable via [email protected]. ALN appears to operate as a special interest group or regional network under the SCONUL umbrella, leveraging SCONUL's broader network and resources for member libraries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• OCLC: OCLC is a global library cooperative providing shared technology services, cataloging, and resource sharing infrastructure for academic libraries. Comparable as a collaborative services provider for academic libraries, though operating globally with proprietary technology offerings.
• JISC: JISC is the UK digital, data, and technology agency for higher education and research, providing shared infrastructure and services to academic libraries. Comparable as a shared services consortium serving higher education libraries, though at a much larger scale.
• SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries): SCONUL is the UK-wide professional association for academic and research libraries and serves as ALN's administrative umbrella. Directly comparable structure as a membership organization for higher education libraries, with broader national scope.
• CARL (Canadian Association of Research Libraries): CARL is a Canadian association of major research libraries offering collaborative programs, advocacy, and shared services. Comparable national-scale library consortium model to ALN's regional approach.
• Association of Research Libraries (ARL): ARL is a North American association of research libraries providing similar consortium-style services, advocacy, and knowledge sharing. Comparable in structure and target audience (academic libraries) but operates at a much larger scale across different geographies.

Regional players

• Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL): SCURL is a consortium of Scottish higher education libraries providing collaborative services and shared resources. Comparable consortium model to ALN, operating in a different UK region with similar member-driven activities.
• Welsh Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF): WHELF is a collaborative group of Welsh higher education libraries. Similar structure and mission to ALN as a regional UK academic library consortium, serving a different geographic territory.

Direct peers

• Research Libraries UK (RLUK): RLUK is a consortium of major UK research libraries providing collaborative services, shared resources, and advocacy. Most directly comparable to ALN as a library consortium operating across multiple institutions, though focused on research-intensive libraries.
• North West Academic Libraries (NoWAL): NoWAL is an academic library consortium serving institutions in the north west of England. Directly comparable to ALN as a regional UK academic library consortium with similar membership model and collaborative activities.

Others

• CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials): CONSER is a cooperative serials cataloging program used by academic libraries. Comparable as a collaborative infrastructure programme for academic libraries, though focused on a specific technical function rather than broader community support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academic-libraries-north
• Instagraminstagram.com/academiclibrariesnorth

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Academic Libraries North