Why US Courts consider public library as the “quintessential locus” of information in a free and democratic society. By Tomas Lipinski (Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) Anyone following recent library developments is the United States is likely to have seen legislative efforts in various states to restrict access to LGBTQIA+ or […]
Read moreLibraries have a clear commitment to promoting access to information as a key pre-condition for the fulfilment of the rights to education, research, culture, democratic participation and development in general. We work to combat barriers to this access, linked not just to resources, but also to policies which may risk censoring content. Yet access is […]
Read moreWhen all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. This – the law of the instrument, or Maslov’s hammer – refers to a situation where someone’s actions are more determined by the tool that they have at hand than by consideration of what the best response might be. The consequence is likely […]
Read moreMay 3rd marks the annual World Press Freedom Day, and this year’s dedicated campaign launched by UNESCO focuses on the theme “journalism without fear or favour”. This day puts the spotlight on challenges to press freedom and independence, safety of journalists, and gender equality in media. For libraries, these issues are of course deeply connected to their core mission and values of access to information and intellectual freedom.
Read moreToday is World Copyright Day, providing an opportunity to reflect on the influence that copyright has on the way we create, share and access information. Copyright offers extensive powers to rightholders, including over many activities that cause no harm to original creators, and indeed help new ones, or achieve public interest goals. This is why […]
Read moreLibraries have a major role to play in delivering fundamental freedoms. The possibility to access information is not only a human right in itself, but also an enabler of others. Where people lack it, they will struggle to participate in democracy, to realise opportunities to improve their jobs and their health, and to enjoy the […]
Read moreWhat is the public domain? The public domain includes all creative works to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Works protected by copyright are those where the rightsholder has the potential to limit access and many uses in exchange for remuneration. After the death of the author of the work, the work continues to […]
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