Digital Lending

Introduction

Digital lending, including the lending of eBooks and other digital materials, is a major issue for all types of libraries. Increased consumer demand for eReaders, and a growing market for eBooks is fuelling a boom in the lending of downloadable eBooks, primarily by, but not limited to, public libraries. At the same time publishers and other stakeholders have serious concerns over the impact of the library lending of eBooks on retail sales and the implications this has for existing business models. In addition, alongside their provision of digital reading devices, major international companies such as Amazon and Apple are expanding their involvement in the publishing, distribution and lending of digital content in ways which are disruptive for both traditional publishers and libraries.

As well as having to deal with the challenges of interoperability with proprietorial reading devices, libraries are confronting a new and challenging situation where publishers (and potentially other rightsholders such as authors) are withholding library sales of eBooks which are otherwise commercially available. When eBooks are made available to libraries there are no generally accepted license terms and conditions for the works and the terms and conditions required by some publishers and distributors are unacceptable to some libraries.

Mandate

Against this background, IFLA’s Key Initiatives 2011-2012 (under Key Initiative 1, Digital Content) call for the production of a background paper on digital lending that will outline the issues involved and what is at stake for libraries. A Working Group has been given the responsibility to develop this paper which not only presents the issues but also proposes actions which IFLA and its members should consider to address the situation. 

Planning/Activities

It is proposed that a first draft of the background paper is available in February 2012. A revised version will be presented to the Governing Board in April 2012.

Working Group Members

  • Harald von Heilmcrone (CLM Committee Expert Member)
  • Harald Mueller (CLM Committee Expert Member)
  • Inga Lunden (IFLA Governing Board)
  • Carrie Russell (Library Copyright Alliance, United States)
  • Amelie Valloton (FAIFE Committee)
  • Paul Whitney (IFLA Governing Board)
  • Qiang Zhu (FAIFE Committee)

...additional information to follow

Last update: 29 November 2012