New Principles for Digital Book Management in Libraries

New Principles for Digital Book Management in Libraries

As custodians of knowledge, we have always been at the forefront of ensuring access to information for our library patrons. As digital resources continue to evolve, the principles of ownership and rights have often been a subject of debate and uncertainty amongst librarians, writes and publishers. The recently released “Principles on Library Ownership of Digital Books” by Library Futures bring some clarity to this vital aspect of library resource management, and I hope you find it helpful:

Understanding the New Principles

The principles aim to establish a foundation of trust between publishers and libraries, allowing libraries to purchase and own permanent copies of digital books, which actually, is a great idea, because this will enable our libraries build and maintain large digital collections that can serve a wide range of users for generations.

Key Highlights of the Principles:

1. Purchase and Maintenance: Libraries can purchase digital books and maintain possession, either directly or through a third-party host. This ensures that libraries have the autonomy to curate their collections without relying solely on publishers.
2. Security Measures: Libraries must employ reasonable industry-standard security measures to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the digital books remain unaltered. This includes using best practices for digital preservation to protect against decay and corruption.
3. Access and Format Compatibility: To keep digital collections accessible, libraries should update file formats as necessary to remain compatible with contemporary equipment. This forward-thinking approach ensures that our collections do not become obsolete.
4. Lending and Interlibrary Loan: Libraries can lend digital books, including through interlibrary loan, while maintaining one-reader-per-copy lending. This respects the balance between accessibility and copyright compliance.
5. Transfer and Deaccession: Libraries are allowed to transfer digital books within their systems or to third-party providers while ensuring secure transfers and permanent deletion when deaccessioning.
6. Privacy Protection: Protecting reader privacy is a core value. Libraries must follow applicable laws and policies to safeguard patron data, ensuring that privacy is not compromised in digital transactions.

One thing that can deduced from the principles is that purchasing a digital book transfers the title of that particular copy to the library, similar to physical books, while the copyright remains with the rightsholder. And that makes the principles significant, especially for libraries in this part of the world, because many of us have faced challenges with copyright issues and what the best practices for sharing and managing e-books should be. With these guidelines hopefully, we now have a clearer understanding to be able to navigate these complexities, ensuring that we can build and maintain digital collections that serve our patrons effectively.

Adopting these principles in full or partly depending on our respective libraries will not only enhance our collections but also strengthen our role as guardians of knowledge in the digital age. Let’s take this opportunity to advocate for our rights to own and preserve digital books, ensuring that our libraries continue to be vibrant centers of learning and culture.

Call to Action

Here’s to encourage librarians, especially e-librarians to familiarize themselves with these principles and integrate them into their practices. By doing so, we can collectively enhance the accessibility and preservation of digital knowledge in the right way.

You can read the full post by Library Futures here.

As we adopt these new principles, it’s crucial to stay ahead by upskilling and adapting to new technologies. Are you aware that the Early Bird registration period for our upcoming Library Automation Masterclass (LAM) ended yesterday (30th June)? LAM is targeted at librarians aspiring to master library automation systems, innovate library services, and embark on profitable careers in library automation. This intensive session will cover everything from metadata management to integrated library systems (ILS) like Koha, providing hands-on training and expert guidance. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your library services and career—learn more, REGISTER NOW, and join us in this movement.