Copyright can sometimes be portrayed (especially by those with an interest in slowing reform) as complicated and conflictual. But as new IFLA research shows, all library associations and actors around the world can get involved and help both build confidence and promote the laws and policies we need. 

Copyright is arguably one side of the same coin as library funding. While the size of library acquisition budgets determines what libraries can buy (or, in many cases, license), copyright rules set out what they can do with these materials. Restrictive laws – or licences – can prevent libraries from carrying out the most basic tasks, such as preservation, lending, or enabling research and education.

With laws being made nationally, copyright is also arguably a natural area for library associations to play a role. By bringing together expertise and the ability to represent the field, they can not just help build knowledge and confidence in the profession but also be a voice for it (and the people who rely on it).

However, copyright can also easily be seen as complicated and conflictual, leading it to be given a lower priority than questions such as funding. In particular when working with limited resources, the temptation can be to focus these elsewhere.

The goal of this report is therefore to help library associations and other groupings reflect on how they can upgrade their engagement around copyright. This complements tools such as the copyright advocacy capacities grid produced by Knowledge Rights 21.

Access the report via our Repository

Associations and their members interested in doing this can take ideas and inspiration from the experience and activities of others as shared in this report, which both provides an overview of how associations are currently addressing copyright, and links on to their own sites in order to learn more.

The report does this firstly by setting out the methodology followed and the overall profile of respondents, before offering an idea of which questions related to copyright are the main concerns for libraries at the moment.

It then runs through how associations and wider library fields approach six different types of activity – monitoring, problem-solving, producing guidelines, training, advocacy and partnering. In each case, it shares data about levels of activity, and practical information about how work is carried out.

Finally, there is a collection of summaries of national approaches to engagement in copyright, and a short discussion and conclusions session. These also draw on independent research, complementing the survey data.

The idea of this report is to be the starting point for discussions, and it does not need to be the final version. We would be very happy to add more material to this in order to make it a living document, as more associations become engaged and have experience to share.

IFLA is very grateful to all those who took the time to respond to the survey and share their views and experience.