What are the best practices for managing digital rights in your library?

1 Understand the basics of copyright and licensing

Copyright is the legal right of the creator or owner of a work to control how it is reproduced, distributed, performed, or displayed. Licensing is the agreement between the copyright holder and the user that grants permission to use the work under certain terms and conditions. When you acquire digital content for your library, you need to understand the copyright status and the licensing terms of each resource, and how they affect your rights and responsibilities as a user and a provider.

2 Negotiate fair and flexible licenses

Licensing is a key aspect of DRM, as it determines what you can and cannot do with the digital content you purchase or subscribe to. You should negotiate licenses that are fair and flexible, meaning that they allow you to use the content for your library's purposes, such as lending, interlibrary loan, preservation, and accessibility. You should also avoid licenses that impose unreasonable restrictions, such as limiting the number of users, devices, or formats, or requiring additional fees or permissions.

3 Educate your staff and patrons

One of the best practices for managing DRM in your library is to educate your staff and patrons about the legal and ethical issues involved. You should provide clear and consistent information about the copyright status and the licensing terms of the digital content you offer, and how they affect the access and use of the content. You should also train your staff and patrons on how to comply with the licenses and respect the rights of the copyright holders.

4 Choose DRM-free or DRM-light content

Another best practice for managing DRM in your library is to choose digital content that is either DRM-free or DRM-light. DRM-free content does not have any technical or legal restrictions on how it can be accessed, used, or shared. DRM-light content has minimal or reasonable restrictions that do not interfere with the library's mission and values. By choosing DRM-free or DRM-light content, you can reduce the costs and complexities of DRM, and enhance the user experience and satisfaction.

5 Advocate for open access and fair use

As a library professional, you have a role in advocating for open access and fair use of digital content. Open access is the movement that promotes free and unrestricted access to scholarly and scientific research online. Fair use is the doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted works for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. By supporting open access and fair use, you can contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the public good.

6 Monitor and evaluate your DRM practices

The last best practice for managing DRM in your library is to monitor and evaluate your DRM practices regularly. You should keep track of the digital content you acquire, license, and provide access to, and how it meets your library's goals and needs. You should also solicit feedback from your staff and patrons on their experiences and preferences with the digital content and the DRM systems. You should use this data to improve your DRM policies and procedures, and to communicate your value and impact to your stakeholders.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?