EIFL and OpenAIRE are celebrating Open Access Week 2019 (21-27 October) with a series of webinars highlighting OpenAIRE activities, services and tools, and reaching out to the wider community with relevant talks. 

EIFL and OpenAIRE are celebrating Open Access Week 2019 (21-27 October) with a series of webinars highlighting OpenAIRE activities, services and tools, and reaching out to the wider community with relevant talks. 

EIFL and OpenAIRE are celebrating Open Access Week 2019 (21-27 October) with a series of webinars highlighting OpenAIRE activities, services and tools, and reaching out to the wider community with relevant talks. 

EIFL and OpenAIRE are celebrating Open Access Week 2019 (21-27 October) with a series of webinars highlighting OpenAIRE activities, services and tools, and reaching out to the wider community with relevant talks. 

EIFL and OpenAIRE are celebrating Open Access Week 2019 (21-27 October) with a series of webinars highlighting OpenAIRE activities, services and tools, and reaching out to the wider community with relevant talks. 

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During the 85th IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2019 in Athens, Greece, several recent and forthcoming IFLA publications were presented by their authors and editors at the IFLA / De Gruyter Publication Series session. One of the books presented was Peter Lor’s International and Comparative Librarianship: Concepts and Methods for Global Studies. We sat down with him for a short interview on his work.

Peter Lor has been active in the LIS field since the 1960s and served as South Africa's first National Librarian, as well as IFLA Secretary General from 2005 – 2008.

His new book, the result of years of research, has a number of aims, including: to provide the first systematic overview of the field of international and comparative librarianship, to raise awareness of theory in other disciplines that can be applied in international and comparative librarianship, and to improve research in the field.  But also a more personal one:

   

My interest in international and comparative librarianship has a moral dimension. I believe that libraries and information agencies have a role in promoting international understanding, tolerance, and peace. I hope that this book can contribute to that.

The book also includes a conceptual framework and methodological guidelines for the field and covers the full range of international relations among libraries and information services. Particular attention is given to the international political economy of information, the international diffusion of innovations and policy in library and information services, and LIS development and international aid.  

Lor’s new book is part of the IFLA Global Studies in Libraries and Information Series, published in partnership with De Gruyter.

Do you need advice about how to talk to researchers and top management about open access? Would you like to convince your researchers that submission of their work to repositories and open access journals is important for their reputation and visibility? Would you like to increase deposit rates in your repository? Are you wondering how to win support for open access at all levels of your institution?

Gwen Franck, EIFL Open Access Programme Coordinator, will give a presentation and conduct training on open science and open access at AUCA (the American University of Central Asia) as part of Open Access Week 2019 celebrations.

Evidence shows that libraries around the world are working under a patchwork of provisions in national copyright laws that are inconsistent and outdated, especially for online and cross-border uses, and that there is a real need for copyright law reform. 

The rules around library eLending are on the agenda again in the United States, following the decision by one publisher to impose limits on libraries' ability to give access to new books.

We interviewed Sari Feldman, past President of the American Library Association and currently a Senior Policy Fellow focusing on eBooks, about the situation.

1. Can you briefly explain the change in how Macmillan is working that has triggered this effort?

Many of the major publishers, referred to in the US as the Big 5, have changed or altered the terms of their eBook pricing and license agreement.  Macmillan is proposing that beginning November 1 they will decrease the price to $30 for a single initial copy of an eBook, which comes with perpetual access. But it will be ONLY after an eight-week embargo period that a library can purchase additional copies.  Those additional copies will be available for $60 per copy for a two year license.  Libraries are objecting to the embargo that denies equitable access to and use of eBooks.

 

2. Is Macmillan alone in doing this?

Macmillan is the only one of the Big 5 publishers with an embargo. Blackstone Audio, a distributer of digital audio, has embargoed selected new release audiobooks  for 90 days and Amazon has a permanent embargo on all original eBooks and Audible audio content.

 

3. Do you expect other publishers to follow suit?

We believe that it is important to have a clear and strong message opposing embargoes.  We do not believe, however, that other Big 5 publishers are considering a business model that includes an embargo.

 

4. What impact does this have on readers?

Limiting access to new titles for libraries means limiting access for readers most dependent on libraries, including people with the fewest resources to purchase new eBoooks on demand, people with disabilities, students and researchers needing easy access to review content from a variety of sources, and readers with limited access to library locations.  Macmillan is restricting equitable access and suppressing the ability of readers to discover new titles and authors through the library.

 

5. Where is the evidence of eLending harming sales or otherwise?

We have not seen data that supports Macmillan’s position.  Libraries pay for books and we do not believe that we suppress business growth for publishers or authors.  Public libraries alone spend more than $1.3 billion on their collection.  Ebook prices are extremely high for libraries and libraries often pay up to five times the retail price per title. Moreover, there is much less discussion about how libraries increase sales through many activities that are effectively free marketing for authors and their works.

 

6. Why does it matter so much that there is no embargo?

Libraries are critical to building readership at a time when reading is on the decline in the US.  Libraries promote literacy and reading for all ages.  Readers are attracted to eBooks and if libraries cannot get the content in the quantity needed to satisfy readers, excessive wait time will supress discovery and interest in eBooks.

 

7. How well does the licensing offer from publishers work for libraries?

Libraries are concerned about many aspects of publisher business models.  While limited term licensing is growing in popularity among the Big 5 publishers, libraries recognize that this model impacts affordability of content and the cost of managing collections when titles must be repurchased to maintain a backlist of author works.  Limited term licensing also impacts the preservation and archiving of digital content and the ability of libraries to maintain rich retrospective collections.

 

8. Is the current model of eBook lending in general sustainable?

We believe that the current models could be refined and result in a business plan that is more sustainable and more satisfying to all parties; publishers, authors and libraries.

We hope that there is an opportunity to come to the table and to design a better approach to eBook collections and the reading ecosystem.

 

9. What role do you see libraries playing in the eBook chain? Does this differ from the role they play in the traditional book chain?

Public libraries represent more than 16,000 essential outlets in communities across the nation.  While book stores are also important to building readership in communities and libraries work collaboratively with community bookstores, bookstores do not have nearly the penetration in the US and many communities do not have any bookstores. 

Libraries are critical to building and sustaining readership, creating discovery of new and midlist authors, and providing equitable access to readers most dependent on libraries.  Readers in remote locations,  those with the fewest resources and those with disabilities as mentioned previously rely on libraries for reading material.  Librarians are trained to provide readers advisory services and to support readers of all ages.  Equitable access is one of the core values of public libraries and must be preserved in the digital age.

 

10. What scenarios do you see for library eBook lending in 10 years? What will this mean for readers?

I believe that there is so much good will between libraries and publishers that we will weather this current challenge with Macmillan.  Publishers and libraries have the common goal of building and sustaining readers and authors are extremely supportive of and interested in having their books in libraries and receiving promotion through librarians, library social media and library programs. I truly believe that these efforts will help us to achieve new business models that will balance the cost-benefit between libraries and publishers and will help to not only sustain but to build the eBook industry.

 

Click in the image below for more details about ALA's #eBooksForAll campaign and how you can get involved:

Read more about IFLA's work around eLending.

Founded in 1971 and based in The Hague, LIBER is Europe’s largest research library network. We help our university, national and special libraries to support world-class research. As part of a planned expansion, LIBER will launch new services and events in 2020. We are therefore looking for an experienced Events & Partnership Manager who can…

The post Job Opening: Events & Partnership Manager appeared first on LIBER.

Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, commemorated annually, is a major occasion for stakeholders to review and celebrate the progress achieved towards “MIL for All”.

UNESCO and GAPMIL are calling partners all over the world to promote Global MIL Week. Together with its Feature Events (International MIL and Intercultural Dialogue Conference and Youth Agenda Forum), Global MIL Week calls for local events around the world to promote MIL connections across disciplines and professions. 

Congratulations to five young public librarians from four African countries who have been selected to take part in the Public Library Association (PLA) 2020 Conference in the United States as part of IYALI 2020 (the Initiative for Young African Library Innovators 2020).

Join this webinar to learn more about Janeway, a free, open source publishing platform developed by the Centre for Technology and Publishing at Birkbeck, University of London. The webinar is jointly organized by EIFL and Open Library of Humanities.

A lot of advocacy work focuses on trying to change laws in order to improve the situation for libraries. However, there can be alterantives to legal reform as a recent example from Australia shows.

IFLA interviewed Sue McKerracher, CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association to find out more.

 

1. You’ve just announced two agreements – what do these cover?

The first addresses the grey area of copyright permission for storytimes held outside the library premises. Lots of libraries take storytime to festivals, community centres, neighbourhood gatherings, shopping centres – it’s a great way to reach out to families who may not have thought of using the library before. It’s the performance of 100% of an artistic work in a public space that’s not a library but authors and illustrators love the fact that their picture books gain this exposure, and publishers welcome the additional promotion, so we are all in agreement that it’s a very positive thing for the book industry.

The second agreement is one we like to call the Jolly Postman agreement, after the 1986 book The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. This agreement allows libraries to photocopy the removable inserts in activity picture books, so when (it’s always ‘when’, not ‘if’) they are lost by a junior member, the library can simply cut out new shapes for the next borrower. Again, there is no issue for creators or publishers. It’s in everyone’s interest that children can find full enjoyment in the picture book.

 

2. What will they mean for libraries in practical terms?

For storytimes, this simply takes away any doubt librarians may have had about whether events outside libraries were covered or not by existing copyright provisions. There will be little effect in practice, as libraries have regularly used storytimes as a fun form of outreach. With the Jolly Postman agreement, it may well mean that libraries which previously avoided purchasing picture books with inserts, these books will now be added to the acquisitions list.

 

3. Is there any precedent for these agreements?

This is the third agreement we have reached with Australian book industry partners. The first was in August 2016 when we agreed that libraries could use book cover images to promote books and authors without seeking special permission each time. Again, it was a commonsense approach to regularise something which benefited everyone.

 

4. Who has been involved, and what brought you together in order try and find a deal?

These initiatives have been made possible through strong and positive relationships between publishers, authors, booksellers and libraries. Our peak bodies have been meeting regularly since 2015 with the aim of finding ways to champion Australian writing, share insights and data, and generally promote books and reading.

 

5. Did you ever consider trying to follow a legal route in order to get results here?

Through the Australian Libraries Copyright Committee, we have achieved legislative reform in other areas, for example the same terms of copyright for published and unpublished works in 2017, and safe harbours in 2018, but when there are opportunities for simple industry agreements that are of mutual benefit to all parties, it’s a quick and easy way to solve relatively minor issues.

 

6. What was the hardest part of the conversations?

The word ‘copyright’. Content creators, publishers and libraries are so used to being adversaries in the copyright arena, that it took a little while for us to work through which areas of copyright we should put to one side, as we have different perspectives, and which ones we could bring to the table.

 

7. Have you seen any changes in attitudes or levels of understanding on each side?

The Australian Publishers Association and Australian Society of Authors were great to work with once we had identified the no-go areas – and I hope they would say the same about us. We meet two or three times a year now, and between us we run the highly success Australian Reading Hour in September each year. Another great example of collaboration for the benefit of all stakeholders.

 

8. How will it be possible to guarantee that the agreements will be followed?

The Australian Publishers Association covers almost all publishers operating in this country – and in any case, these agreements work for everyone, so there is no reason why someone wouldn’t honour them.

 

9. What do you think this means for future cooperation?

These agreements are part of a wider commitment to collaborate. They provide useful practical outcomes that demonstrate this unity of purpose to government and our members.

 

10. To what extent do you think that this experience is replicable in other jurisdictions?

We would urge libraries in any country to talk to their publishers, authors and booksellers, to see if they can work through those minor copyright irritations and come up with a better way forward for everyone. Where there is mutual and equal benefit, why wouldn’t it work?

The first international workshop dedicated to operationalizing the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities among a regional group of libraries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus and Russia - took place at the Lithuanian Library for the Blind (LAB) in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 26-27 September 2019. 

Over 150 rectors from universities across Myanmar will take part in a conference on the topic, University Development in Myanmar. 

The conference is organized by the Rectors’ Committee, and will include papers and discussion on the role of the Myanmar Teachers’ Union in higher education, how universities and industry can work together, and internationalization of Myanmar universities. 

LIBER is Europe’s largest research library network. We help our university, national and special libraries to support world-class research. Founded in 1971 and based in The Hague, LIBER is involved in a range of funded projects addressing the barriers on the path towards Open Science. As our new Training Coordinator, you will take the lead…

The post Job Opening: Training Coordinator appeared first on LIBER.

Iryna Kuchma, EIFL Open Access Programme Manager, will give a keynote speech at the international conference, ‘Science ouverte au Sud. Enjeux et perspectives pour une nouvelle dynamique’ (‘Open Science in the South. Issues and Perspectives for a new dynamic’).

EIFL and EIFL’s partner library consortium in Senegal,  the Consortium des Bibliothèques de l’Enseignement Supérieur du Sénégal (COBESS), will host a series of workshops on open access policies and repositories as part of Open Access Week 2019 celebrations. Iryna Kuchma, EIFL Open Access Programme Manager will facilitate workshops on the following topics:

Monday, 21 October