International Federation of Library Associations Report on Copyright Challenges During COVID-19

The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has published a summary of its research report on copyright-related challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic:

"The report involved a survey of 114 libraries worldwide and 28 interviews during February and March 2022. Respondents were from 29 countries. The report was conducted with Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL)."

"83% of responding library professionals said they had copyright-related challenges providing materials during pandemic-related facility closures. These intersected with ongoing challenges predating the pandemic, including budget pressures, external financial crises, difficult negotiations with publishers, and demand for eBooks that outpaces publisher offerings."

"While many publishers offered expanded access to services and content during the early months of the pandemic, these offers usually did not last for sufficient time for libraries to meaningfully integrate them into teaching and research activities. 69% of respondents who had challenges said these included issues providing access to textbooks, and 52% of libraries that had copyright challenges indicated challenges with providing access internationally, as students and faculty returned to their home countries. To access content digitally, some libraries made use of programs such as the HathiTrust’s Emergency Temporary Access project and ‘Resource-Sharing during COVID’ (RSCVD) (...)"

"Laws often leave gray zones which create uncertainty about how content can be shared. This points to the need for clarified legal protections for libraries and the services they offer."