紙本期刊與圖書每年價量增加，大學圖書館原已負擔沈重，近年來電子期刊與電子書的急速 發展，計價模式繁多，對圖書館的刪減選擇限制嚴苛，導致大學圖書館採購與管理上不少問題。 國內外圖書館有採取聯盟方式，以聯合採購的經濟實力與規模，爭取較大的採購優惠條件。筆者 為了解國外大學圖書館採購聯盟之運作，特地選擇英國以倫敦為中心之London Universities Purchasing Consortium, 以英國南部為主之Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, 及位於蘇格蘭 地區之Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries 為訪問對象，深入了解其組織架 構、談判議價、書刊及電子資源採購等情形。此行並順道訪問了Bournemouth 大學圖書館、Glasgow 大學圖書館及國立蘇格蘭圖書館。

Already burdened with the increasing quantities and costs of printed journals and books year after year, the academic libraries were further confronted by the rapid growth of electronic resources in recent years. Various pricing models plus the bundling of hard-copy and electronic journals, noncancellation clauses created new problems in library procurement and management. Purchasing consortia emerged to form alliances between libraries and to achieve time and financial savings of group purchasing. The author chose to visit the London Universities Purchasing Consortium, Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium and the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries in order to learn the organizational structure, negotiation for contracts, and procurement of library materials and electronic resources. On the same trip the author also stopped by and visited three academic libraries--the Bournemouth University Library, the Glasgow University Library and the National Library of Scotland.