iSchool Capstone

Digital Books in Libraries: Moving Towards a Sustainable & Equitable System of Access to Information

Project tags:

equity & inclusion

information policy & ethics

Over the past ten years, tensions have grown between libraries and the publishing industry as eBooks have become more popular and as eBook costs have risen. As library workers, we are motivated by the core mission of libraries to provide access to information, which is threatened by current licensing models. In this project, we assess the current practices and power imbalances in eBook licensing through interviews with 40 stakeholders. Our research suggests that legislation is one of many possible strategies to achieve a sustainable and equitable system of access to information for future generations.

Project participants:

Megan Rosenfeld

MLISOnline

Erin Andreassi

MLIS