The role of the library in franchised higher education courses

Franchising higher education courses - the delivery of university courses in further education colleges - is now a well-established practice, recognising the needs of dispersed communities and the demand for lifelong learning. One of the key elements of franchise course provision is the supporting library and learning resources which are made available to students undertaking such courses. This Briefing reports on research carried out at the University of Central Lancashire which aimed to provide an understanding of library service support for franchised courses from the point of view of students, their tutors, and librarians in both colleges and universities. With the importance of off-campus learning likely to grow, experience of supporting franchised courses will provide an invaluable model for the future.