In 2019, IFLA’s Advisory Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM) and the Information Literacy Section represented by its former chair Lisa Hinchliffe, are exploring the theme of copyright literacy education in library associations. The presentation of the research carried out by Lisa Hinchliffe, Kaylen Dwyer and Jayde Rose is available here.

Building on this work, and in line with its mission to support its Members, IFLA continues to engage in the subject of copyright literacy and is putting together a collection of educational resources on this topic. We welcome submissions and suggestions.

Copyright, a legal area that remains crucial in libraries.

Whether this is about reproductions of collections in heritage libraries, scholarly communication in university libraries, controlled digital lending, or eBook licenses, many major issues in the field of libraries are linked to copyright.

Therefore, there is a necessity to continue supporting libraries in building copyright capacities on a regional, national and international scale, and to ensure that libraries are well-represented in these discussions.

The topic of copyright for library associations generally requires a national approach, given that the legal framework for copyright is primarily defined by national regulations.

Nonetheless, it is possible to look to the international level for materials to help understand copyright trends. Furthermore, IFLA and others’ work to advance exceptions and limitations to copyright internationally aims to provide leverage in discussions, but in turn, relies on the implication of libraries nationally.

The development of educational resources: key learning materials

There is an uneven distribution of expertise around the library field concerning copyright laws and ways of initiating changes with policy-makers.

To address this, many institutions and professionals continue to engage in learning activities on these issues. It seems helpful to encourage these initiatives and to continue to connect these professionals in order to build an active network.

IFLA is therefore looking at how best to support the development of educational resources on copyright in the field of libraries, and to facilitate training and strengthen the advocacy capacities of libraries.

Gathering educational resources on copyright

IFLA, therefore, encourages members to share existing educational resources on copyright, such as:

– Manuals and textbooks
– Documents and resources
– Courses
– Games
– Practical tools
– Videos and podcasts

We will gather them per country and languages to facilitate to identify resources in your country!

If you know of any copyright education resources in your country and would like to share them, contact camille.francoise[at]ifla.org