The aim of this study was to investigate whether academic libraries at small and medium-sized British research universities are adopting the Learning Centre concept and determine the consequences from the point of view of services, space allocation and personnel structure. Provision of electronic resources in these libraries is described, especially the development of Virtual Learning Environments. Organizational structure and user services are also detailed, illustrating how structures are evolving and the possible impact of changes in services and the physical plant on support for research.