Ebooks have tremendous beneficial potential, particularly for Australians in remote areas and those with impaired mobility or vision. Compared to physical books however, the rights of libraries to acquire and lend them are severely restricted. This project brings together 8 library partners with legal, social and data science researchers to investigate ebook lending practices and understand their social impacts. Building upon that evidence base, the project will identify ways of reforming policy, law, and practice to help libraries fulfil their public interest missions. This project seeks to cast new light on libraries’ social and cultural roles in the digital age, and enable them to extract more value from existing public investments.
Researcher(s)
Dr Rebecca Giblin (Monash University – Faculty of Law)
A/Prof Kimberlee Weatherall (University of Sydney),
Prof Julian Thomas (Swinburne University of Technology)
Prof Geoffrey Webb (Monash University – School of IT)
Partner Organisations
National and State Libraries
Australian Library and Information Association LTD
State Library of Western Australia
State Library of New South Wales
State Library of South Australia
Yarra Plenty Regional Library service
Gold Coast City Council
Brisbane City Council
Duration
2016-2019
