This concurrent session will describe an ongoing doctoral research project, supported by the British Library, which explores the concept of the library collection in the digital world. Based on interview and survey data collected from library and information practitioners, people working in social enterprises, faculty members and policymakers, three interpretations of “collection” will be suggested: collection as thing, collection as access and collection as process. The presentation will propose a revised collection development hierarchy which incorporates these three concepts, outlining the potential impact of these ideas on collection development strategies, tactics and operations in the digital world.