UKSG is an international association that exists to "connect the information community" and "encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication".[1] The name UKSG originally stood for United Kingdom Serials Group, but the association is now known simply as UKSG as it has expanded beyond the UK and beyond serials to include e-books and other electronic resources.[1]
UKSG's 450 or so member organizations include libraries, publishers, information suppliers, intermediaries and technology vendors from around the world. Membership of UKSG and associated benefits cover all employees within an organisation. Individual membership is also available as is free membership for students over 18. UKSG is a registered charity[2] led by a main committee of volunteers (two Honorary Officers (Chair and Vice Chair), and a further seven elected and co-opted members) who work in a variety of capacities within the scholarly communication industry.[1]
UKSG works to facilitate discussion, stimulate research, support the professional development of its members and disseminate information about the scholarly communications sector. It runs an annual conference in the spring and a One-Day Conference and Forum in the late autumn. It also runs regular seminars, webinars and training courses. It supports an active email discussion list, lis-e-resources: a forum in which members can exchange and discuss industry news and developments.[3]
UKSG publishes the open access peer-reviewed journal Insights: the UKSG journal, a continuation of Serials: The Journal for the Serials Community (1988-1911).[4] It contains the latest research in the field of scholarly communications and insights into the work of all those employed in the research information chain. It provides members with a fortnightly email newsletter, UKSG eNews, which provides news of current issues and developments within the global serials industry. It also published The E-resources Management Handbook.