Four themes from NASIG 2026 shaping the future of academic librarianship

Author: Nicole Ameduri

Head of Account Development

Having helped plan and attend the 2026 NASIG Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in June, one thing was immediately clear: NASIG continues to be a community defined by energy, thoughtful conversations and a shared commitment to the future of scholarly communication. Four recurring themes stood out: library access, digital identity, collection development and research assessment. They may seem like separate topics, but together they point to the same larger development: Academic librarians are increasingly helping institutions navigate the connections between systems, strategy, user experience and the responsible evaluation of research.

NASIG brings together librarians, publishers, vendors and service providers from across the scholarly communication landscape. It provides an important forum for professional development, collaboration and dialogue on the challenges and opportunities shaping academic libraries and scholarly communication.

As a member of the NASIG Board and Conference Planning Committee, I have seen firsthand the value of these conversations. Organizations such as NASIG create space for people across the scholarly ecosystem to share perspectives, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another. For Springer Nature, participation in communities like NASIG is equally valuable. It provides opportunities to listen, understand emerging needs and collaborate more effectively with the librarian community we serve.

Across the conference, discussions on access, identity, collection development and research assessment often intersected in unexpected ways. Rather than representing separate challenges, these themes highlighted how closely connected the academic library ecosystem has become. As libraries take on a more strategic role within their institutions, librarians are increasingly helping to align technology, collections, policy and user experience to support research and learning.

Library access is becoming a user experience challenge

For many years, library access was largely an infrastructure question. Success depended on ensuring content was available through the right systems and that authentication mechanisms functioned as expected. Today, the challenge looks different.

As was discussed at NASIG 2026, the majority of users (75-80%) begin their research journeys outside the library environment. Researchers are increasingly discovering content outside library environments, often beginning their journeys on search engines, publisher platforms, academic social networks, and other digital platforms, rather than by navigating library websites directly. 

As those discovery pathways become more distributed, ensuring a smooth route from discovery to access becomes increasingly important. Technologies such as Seamless Access and federated authentication are helping bridge that gap by connecting users to institutional access wherever their research begins. 

This shift has important implications for academic libraries. Library access is no longer only about maintaining systems, links, or proxy servers. It is increasingly about user experience. How easily can users access the resources they discover? How much friction exists in the authentication process? Are library services meeting users where they already work?

These questions place librarians at the center of conversations about usability, digital services, and researcher workflows. The ultimate goal remains access, but the efforts increasingly focus on creating seamless, intuitive experiences that support users throughout the research lifecycle.

Digital identity is now a strategic library priority

Closely linked to access is another major transformation that was discussed at NASIG 2026: the growing importance of digital identity. The shift from IP-based access to identity-driven access represents one of the most significant infrastructure changes the scholarly ecosystem has experienced in recent years. Researchers increasingly expect persistent access across devices, personalized experiences, and single sign-on capabilities similar to those they encounter in other digital environments. 

While these developments create opportunities for improved convenience and personalization, they also raise important questions about privacy, trust, security and   governance. This is where librarians are playing an increasingly important role. Many librarians who work in information technology possess deep expertise in authentication systems, privacy considerations, and user trust. Their role is not simply to implement technology but to advocate for solutions that align with the needs and values of their institutions and communities. 

Identity is becoming a foundational element of library access, and the conversation around digital identity extends well beyond technology. It touches on policy, ethics, accessibility and the broader relationship between institutions and their users.

Collection development is increasingly strategic work

Another recurring theme at NASIG 2026 was the reality of continued budget pressure. Most academic libraries are operating in an environment where expectations continue to grow while financial resources remain constrained. At the same time, libraries are supporting an increasingly diverse research and teaching needs, manage complex collections and demonstrate value to institutional leadership.

Against this backdrop, collection development has become far more than a process of acquiring and managing content. Collection development librarians are balancing usage data, institutional priorities and relationships with faculty and researchers while making difficult decisions about resource allocation. Financial pressures are real and there are rarely simple answers. Every decision affects researchers, students and institutional goals. 

This reality is turning collection development to strategic work rather than an operational responsibility as collection decisions intersect with broader institutional objectives related to research impact, open access, student success and financial sustainability. Librarians not only evaluate content but also contribute meaningfully to conversations about institutional priorities and long-term strategy.

Supporting the critical evaluation of research assessment

The fourth theme that emerged at NASIG 2026 centered on research assessment and the systems used to evaluate scholarships. Discussions around scholarly metrics highlight an important reality: many evaluation mechanisms carry influence because the research community collectively accepts them as meaningful indicators. Yet that does not make them infallible.

Questions surrounding research assessment, scholarly metrics and evaluation frameworks are becoming increasingly important as institutions seek fair and responsible ways to assess academic research. Here too, librarians have a unique contribution to make.

As educators and advisors, librarians help researchers understand both the strengths and limitations of research metrics. They support informed decision-making, encourage critical thinking, and contribute to conversations about what responsible assessment should look like. They can help institutions examine established systems and support consideration of how scholarships are evaluated.

The evolving role of librarians: Strategic partners across systems and policy

Access, identity, collections and assessment emerge as the central areas of library work in which important developments are happening. Librarians are shaping user experiences, contributing to infrastructure decisions, guiding strategic investments and supporting evaluation of assessment. 

Across the scholarly communication landscape, academic librarianship is increasingly involved in connecting systems, policies, investment and values. Librarians require a mindset that is user-focused, analytical, collaborative and comfortable working across organizational boundaries. And as their role continues to expand beyond traditional boundaries, it also offers more opportunities to demonstrate leadership and influence. 

This growing responsibility can be challenging, but it is also what makes this moment in academic librarianship so compelling. And that is precisely why communities such as NASIG are so important. They provide a space to learn from one another, explore emerging challenges and collectively shape the future of scholarly communication.

The themes discussed at NASIG also reinforce a broader shift taking place across the profession: librarians are increasingly acting as strategic partners in research, technology and institutional decision-making. For a closer look at how library roles are evolving, read The inside-out librarian: How libraries are becoming essential research partners.

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• The inside out librarian – How libraries are becoming essential research partners

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