World libraries and Copyright: Conference in Hague addresses current issues for libraries concerning copyright, open access and human rights

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) jointly with the Netherlands Library Forum FOBID is holding a two-day conference under the theme “Libraries driving access to knowledge: Action for Europe” which is due April 14–15, 2011 at the National Library of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Bibliotheek), the Hague, Netherlands.

This conference will address current issues for libraries concerning copyright, open access and human rights. Invited are stakeholders, politicians and decision-makers from European political institutions, UN bodies, international NGOs, private sector and industry, library organizations and the press.

The digital environment offers libraries many opportunities, and library services are adapting to take advantage of this situation. New forms of access, new attitudes to information sharing, and a complex European legislative framework demand clear policies to help libraries fulfill their objectives. This conference will address three key topics on the agenda for libraries today:

- the challenges libraries face from the current copyright system;

- open access and the changing role of libraries in providing access to scholarly information;

- the fundamental question of delivering access to information as a human right in the knowledge society.

The upcoming conference aims to find solutions to challenges faced by libraries today.