Library Futures’ "Controlled Digital Lending: Unlocking the Library’s Full Potential"

The Library Futures group has released a position paper, "Controlled Digital Lending: Unlocking the Library’s Full Potential” that is worth a read by all library stakeholders interested in ensuring we have the ability to share content digitally, especially the millions of titles that are an important part of the intellectual record but have never been digitized.

Aimed at least in part as legislators, it concludes as follows:

CDL takes what libraries do well and makes them even better. Libraries are an economic boost

to communities, and CDL maximizes that by making the lending system more efficient and

equitable. CDL also bolsters education by supporting learning from anywhere. With CDL,

knowledge is accessible, and our sources of knowledge reflect all experiences. Quite simply,

CDL ensures that more people have access to more books, all while respecting the authors’

rights. For these reasons, we ask that you support legislation that codifies CDL and programs

that facilitate CDL through funding and a centralized set of digital resources.

RF reiterates its long-held position: CDL, properly implemented, is a legitimate use of library resources. We second the call for legislation that codifies CDL as part of copyright. The paper’s emphasis on Civil Rights and Democratization of Information is spot-on. Libraries cannot afford to lose this valuable tool if we are to meet the growing demands for digital resources.