Chapter 13

The Changing Landscape of Academic Libraries and Copyright Policy: Interlibrary Loans, Electronic-Reserves, and Distance Education
Samuel E. Trosow
 

This paper examines the changing nature of academic libraries in the digital era and the accompanying developments in copyright law and policy. Much recent attention has been paid to music file sharing on campuses across Canada, but there are other pressing copyright issues facing educational institutions and their libraries. Interlibrary loan, document delivery, electronic reserves, and distance education programs are all affected by current and proposed copyright legislation. 

Widespread misunderstanding of the nature and scope of the Act's fair dealing provision, and its relationship to the special exceptions for libraries and educational institutions, has resulted in a confusing and contradictory set of amendments to the current Act. These proposals, contained in Bill C-60, suggest restrictive new policies for distance education, interlibrary loan, and electronic reserves that conflict with existing fair dealing rights and are counterproductive and stifling to academic research and study. 

This paper traces the development of these issues through the current copyright reform consultation process, with reference to specific sections of Bill C-60 and the corresponding documentation from various Parliamentary and government reports. 


About the Author: 

Samuel E. Trosow is an Assistant Professor at the University of Western Ontario, holding a joint appointment with the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Information & Media Studies (FIMS). In the law school, he has taught courses in intellectual property, advanced copyright, information law, and legal theory. At FIMS he has taught on information policy, legal issues for information professionals, legal information sources and services, international documents, and the political economy of information. His recent publications include “Sui Generis Database Legislation: A Critical Analysis” in the Yale Journal of Law & Technology, and “Copyright Protection for Federally Funded Research: Necessary Incentive or Double Subsidy?” in the Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal. Professor Trosow was the recipient of the 2004 Dissertation Award in the field of Library and Information Science from the Association for Library and Information Science Education for his Ph.D. dissertation entitled “Information for Society: Towards a Critical Theory of Intellectual Property Policy.” His doctoral work at UCLA focused on information policy issues. He is an active participant in the policy and advocacy work of several library and educational associations in the United States and Canada.

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