Finding a Way: Library Master Agreements at the University of Tennessee

The contract-review and approval process for purchasing and renewing electronic resources at the University of Tennessee had become cumbersome to campus libraries. To streamline existing procedures, the campus libraries, the Office of Contracts Administration, and the Purchasing Department collaborated to find a solution that restored a measure of autonomy to the libraries while ensuring that all units followed existing fiscal policies and were in compliance with state laws. The result was the creation of library master agreements, which have led to significant savings in both the cost and the time it takes to review and approve contracts.