“Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) has been receiving attention throughout the library and publishing communities as a potential remedy to the restrictive ebook licensing practices operated by some publishers. Libraries argue that these licensing practices undermine the balance between private interests and public access that have long been part of copyright laws, and limit the way library users get access to information and culture. CDL proposes that as long as libraries legitimately acquire physical copies of collection items, it is legal to digitise and provide access to users on a 1:1 “owned to loaned” ratio. CDL is gaining traction in the US and Canada, and IFLA has recently released a statement identifying its potential across the world.”

Extract from: Upcoming webinar on the strategic and practical implications of CDL for UK academic libraries. Jane Secker UK Copyright Literacy blog. 13 August 2021

Library Lending Fit for the 21st Century? Controlled Digital Lending in the UK . David Prosser. RLUK blog. 27 September 2021

From the blog: “Over the past few decades, a growing proportion of materials purchased by libraries has been in electronic rather than physical format. This format shift has brought many changes in the way in which we make materials available, and archive and preserve them. We have also moved in many areas from owning materials to leasing or renting them. However, nothing in these shifts affect the fundamental principle that libraries should be able to lend the materials that they have acquired to the communities they serve.”

IFLA releases a statement on Controlled Digital Lending.16 June 2021

From the statement: “Controlled Digital Lending can represent an important tool for libraries. IFLA therefore supports this, underlining its ability to offer libraries the freedom to provide access to their collections, both during the pandemic and beyond. To achieve this, IFLA argues that all countries should recognise the possibility for libraries to lend works, that laws should be adapted to the digital environment so that libraries can continue their mission to provide access to information and knowledge in the modern age, and that the combination of exceptions – for example to digitise and lend – should not be restricted unnecessarily.”