Controlled Digital Lending: A Discussion

Thursday, April 21, 2022 - 11:00am to 12:00pm

The CARLI Public Services Committee invites members to a panel and discussion about Controlled Digital Lending (CDL).

Notes from the discussion are available.

In this virtual event, panel presenters from different types of academic libraries will share information about how they considered the use of CDL. We will then have a question and answer with the panelists and a discussion of CDL in CARLI libraries.

Rooted in the fair use right of US Copyright Act, CDL is the digital equivalent of traditional physical library lending - a library can digitize a book it owns and lend out a secured digital version to one user at a time, in place of the physical item.

Controlled Digital Lending has three important core principles:

  • A library must own a legal copy of the physical book, by purchase or via donation or gift;
  • A library must maintain an "owned to loaned" ratio, simultaneously lending no more copies than it legally owns; and,
  • A library must use technical measures to ensure that the digital file cannot be copied or redistributed.

CARLI Public Service Committee will also share a CDL Resource Guide with position statements, examinations of legal issues, and guides to implementation.

This event will not be recorded.

Connection information will be shared with those registered the week of the program.

If you have any questions, please send them to CARLI Support.