Teresa Hackett, EIFL Copyright and LIbraries Programme Manager, will attend a one-day workshop on the e-book crisis in libraries caused by increasing and unpredictable licence costs, restrictive licensing terms and restrictions on content availability.

E-books are now an essential part of the collections of most public and academic libraries globally. After more than a decade of mainstream library use, however, outcomes from negotiations with publishers and suppliers of e-books in terms of pricing, usage terms and availability of content, have been less than satisfactory. These issues were exacerbated during COVID lockdowns, when demand for e-books increased significantly.

Yet there is another pressing issue and one less discussed by librarians – how is the very mission of the library transformed by the demand for ebooks? What does it mean for our physical spaces, for our core mission and what risks does it pose for our future?

‘Ebooks – where are we heading?’ is an IFLA WLIC (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions World Library and Information Congress) 2022 satellite meeting that will seek to set a future agenda to inform IFLA’s future advocacy and thought leadership around e-books.