CALL/ACBD Copyright Committee Free Webinar - Copyright and Controlled Digital Lending

Copyright and Controlled Digital Lending

Speakers: Stephen Spong, Western University; Katya Pereyaslavska, COPPUL and North/Nord; and a representative of HathiTrust

The dream of shared library collections - whether print or digital - has long been seen as a solution to many of the issues that bedevil libraries of all stripes, including managing costs, limited space, conservation and preservation of print collections. Practical and legal considerations have historically been seen as barriers to shared print or controlled digital lending (CDL) programs. However, recent years have seen growth in the area of shared collections with the birth of a new national level shared print network, North/Nord and experimentation with CDL during COVID-related lockdown. Economic and political uncertainty have given an added sense of urgency to the need to ensure that collections are preserved and accessible. 

This session will provide an overview of shared print programs, with a focus on the growth of the North/Nord shared print program and a pandemic-era controlled digital lending program that was successfully piloted at Western University.