Press Release: First European Overview on E-lending in Public Libraries

A report prepared by EBLIDA EGIL (Expert Group on Information Law)
Country profiles and Summary Tables
(June 2022)
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EBLIDA is laying the foundation for “sustainable copyright" in public libraries through the publication of the “First European overview on e-lending in public libraries”. Carried out by the EBLIDA EGIL (Expert Group on Information Law) Group, the overview is based on a questionnaire transmitted to a network of experts including both EGIL members and experts suggested by NAPLE and the EBLIDA Executive Committee |
The geographic scope of the study is restricted to nine countries. These countries were selected in accordance with several criteria: a prosperous book and e-book trade (Germany, France, Spain, Italy), a limited book trade with high level of digital literacy (e.g. Nordic countries), and countries where an e-book trade has never really taken off (Romania or Greece).
“With this Overview EBLIDA intends to pursue the objective of examining the independence of the e-book library trade and library acquisitions on national economic factors, legal constraints and institutional requirements”, says Ton van Vlimmeren, EBLIDA President.
This is only the first step in a series of more extensive activity on e-lending which “will have a follow up in-length, in width, and in-depth”, adds Giuseppe Vitiello, EBLIDA Director. In the near future, EBLIDA intends to enlarge the Overview to more countries (in-length), examine particular aspects of e-lending models and business models (in-width); and find the appropriate arguments to advocate for libraries at European level (in depth).
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