The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue is to host a webinar on ‘Controlled Digital Lending in a Pandemic’. 

Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) is an emerging practice whereby libraries lend print books in digital format to users on an ‘owned to loaned’ ratio (meaning that the number of simultaneous digital loans is limited to the number of physical copies held by the library). 

CDL is seen as a way of addressing the problem of older books that are still under copyright, but are unlikely ever to be offered digitally by publishers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when libraries had to suddenly shut their buildings for public health reasons, CDL became for some a lifeline for the provision of emergency access to teaching and learning materials for students, teachers, researchers, and the general public.

While CDL is mostly used by libraries in the US, and is recognized by many as permitted under US copyright law, it is attracting interest from other parts of the world. The goal of the webinar is to learn more about the US, EU and international perspectives on CDL from leading practitioners, scholars, copyright experts and policy-makers. EIFL will moderate a panel on the international perspective.

• Date and time: 30 September 2020, 14:00 - 16:30 UTC (16:00 - 18:30 CET; 10:00 - 12.30 EST).
• To join the webinar: The webinar will take place via Zoom. To register, please email CDL@keionline.org. A link will be sent to the speakers and participants by September 29, 2020. 

The agenda is available in PDF here. To learn more on CDL, click here.