Unlocking eBooks project

CILIP has been commissioned by Knowledge Rights 21 (KR21) to deliver the Unlocking eBooks project. The project aims to achieve fair sales practice, copyright reform, and governmental support for libraries, education and research for digital content.

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Research into the eBooks market within the library sector

As part of the project, a review of evidence relating to academic, research and public libraries was conducted and produced by Inflect Partners Ltd, with an advisory group from across the sector and representation from the eBooks SOS Campaign.

Literature review

Case for support

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Watch the webinar recording

 

 

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The research found several barriers are holding back eBook uptake and the impact of publicly-supported libraries, limiting access to scientific knowledge, learning, research, innovation, and opportunities for economic growth.

The project encourages policy makers to collaborate with library sector stakeholders to implement its key recommendations:

Help unlock access to knowledge: Reforming e-lending rules and enabling digital interlibrary loans will help ensure libraries can more freely share resources, providing far more equitable access to vital knowledge for students, researchers, and clinicians. This will breakdown barriers to discovery and innovation.

Safeguard research and culture for the long term: Granting libraries the right to archive eBooks and ensuring perpetual access to licensed works will preserve essential research materials and cultural heritage for future generations. Copyright reform will help protect critical knowledge in perpetuity and support libraries’ important public preservation role.

Ensure better value for public money: Aligning eBook pricing with consumer and physical book rates, and ending bundling and other practices will ensure publicly-supported libraries’ increasingly limited budgets are spent more effectively. This will enable libraries to build diverse collections that better support research, education, and other user needs while achieving a greater return on investment.

Drive economic growth: Reducing excessive restrictions and ensuring more affordable eBook access will empower libraries to provide the essential resources so urgently required by our researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators. This will help drive scientific advancements, foster technological breakthroughs, and stimulate economic growth.

 

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Suite of Resources

We invite you to utilise a suite of further resources created to help policy makers understand the many problems that arise from a poorly functioning eBook market.

Template letter to your local MP

This letter can be tailored with examples from your own library to maximise the impact.

Template letter to the Education Committee

Template letter to the Education Committee in the House of Commons asking for an inquiry.

Template letter for Vice-Chancellors

Library and information professionals working in university libraries are encouraged to speak to their Vice-Chancellor about the ongoing problems with the eBooks market for universities and suggest to their VC that they use this letter to write to their MP.

If you or your VC send a letter to your MP or the Education Committee, can you please notify Yvonne Morris, Projects and Programmes Manager, at yvonne.morris@cilip.org.uk Please also notify Yvonne of the outcome.

Form to provide case studies

Submit a case study to help CILIP and our partners continue to evidence the problems libraries are facing acquiring, lending and preserving eBooks. 

Tailored advice and support with your campaign including preparing for meetings from Benjamin White, Co-Founder and UK National Coordinator Knowledge Rights 21, at Ben.White@ifla.org.uk.

 

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