Key takeaways from the Kortext summer webinar, Library Priorities 2026: Insights and Perspectives 

On 23 June, we held our summer library webinar, Library priorities 2026: insights and perspectives. The session brought together three academic library experts to explore the findings of the Kortext Annual Librarian Survey 2026.

Joining the panel were: 

• Lisa McLaren, Head of Library and Archives Service, University of Westminster

• Matthew Lawson, Head of Student Experience, Metanoia Institute

• Rosie Jones, Director of Student and Library Services, Teesside University 

The panel discussion spanned acquisition strategies, student engagement, data and AI, offering a clear view of evolving priorities across the sector. 

Over the course of the discussion, four themes came through clearly. 

1. Digital collection growth: measured and intentional

Nearly half of survey respondents (46.5%) reported an increase in digital collections over the past year, while only 21% saw a decrease in spend, an improvement on 2025. The overall picture is one of continued growth, with digital remaining central to library strategy. 

What’s changing is the pace and approach. Growth is happening within a more controlled environment, with budgets stabilising and investment becoming more measured than in 2024. In response, libraries are becoming more deliberate, focusing on collections that can demonstrate clear impact. 

As Rosie Jones reflected: “We’ve really committed to the university that we will look for the value for money in our collections. So actually, we’re demonstrating that we are analysing our content and understanding its usage, and making some tough decisions.” 

2. Student engagement: removing the barriers

Libraries are turning their attention to what comes next: ensuring students actively engage with the resources available to them. This year’s survey highlights the challenge, with 31% of libraries reporting a decline in engagement, while only around 24% saw growth. 

The response from the sector is focused rather than reactive. With the infrastructure largely in place, the next step is making it work harder for students. 

For Lisa McLaren, that starts with simplicity: “If there’s one thing I could change around our tools, it’s about reducing some of that friction in accessing things, having one platform because they’re so used to… Netflix, Spotify, Google, where they just go one place, they find something, it’s all nice and easy.” 

Matthew Lawson was direct about the consequences of that friction: “We need to look at the barriers to access, raising awareness, sorting out navigation difficulties, and multiple platforms which people were raising, because I think each additional sort of login or needing to change a platform risks us losing our students.” 

3. Data: shaping library strategy

Data is playing a more central role. More than 70% of respondents said they value supplier analytics, signalling a clear appetite for insight. But there remains a gap between being data-aware and fully data-driven. 

As Matthew Lawson put it: “People are increasingly data aware and data informed, but probably not data-driven yet.” 

For some institutions, that shift is already happening. As Rosie Jones explained: “It’s not just exclusive to senior leaders, it’s used on the ground all the time, as we set up projects, initiatives, we bake in the data at the start.” 

4. AI adoption: the library’s role

60.6% of institutions now have AI policies in place, yet only 3% have policies specific to the library and 43.7% have not formally adopted generative AI. The tools are evolving quickly, while frameworks are still taking shape. 

For the panel, this reflects considered progress rather than hesitation. Libraries are focusing on where they can add the most value. 

Rosie Jones was direct about where that value lies: “AI has never been about the tools, it’s about the ability to seek the opportunity and use the opportunity, and that to me is what we should be teaching and training our students to do.” 

She also raised a question the sector is only beginning to sit with: “The thing that we are probably missing from the AI journey at the moment is what AI can do for inclusion whilst you’re at university.” 

The 2026 outlook: from expansion to optimisation 

Taken together, the survey and panel discussion point to a sector that is maturing rather than slowing. The focus is shifting from adoption to optimisation, from adding tools to using them well. 

Priorities are becoming clearer, with libraries focusing more on value over volume, improving engagement and experience, using data more effectively and approaching AI with greater clarity and care. 

Technologies will continue to evolve. The role of the library won’t – remaining central as a trusted way to access and navigate knowledge. 

Explore the full findings in the Kortext Annual Librarian Survey 2026 report. 

Find out how Kortext can support your library across collections, engagement and discovery.