Unesco marks today as both World Book Day and Copyright Day. This same combination has put libraries today in an awkward position with a lot of uncertainty for the future.
Last year music file-sharing through the internet was clamped down upon by the music industry on copyright issues. The battle continued against DVDs made freely available, again on the net. Copyright promoters have now also put libraries on their list.
This comes as no surprise seeing that a library`s job is to lend books to its patrons free of charge. After all, publishers are still not being paid for the number of times any material is lent.
Napster CEO Hank Berry last year tried to assimilate his company`s cause with that of libraries as victims of what he termed "copyright absolutists" who want to restrict access to information.
Libraries have always been seen as emancipatory for those who wish to become more prone to knowledge, and also serve to narrow the gap between those who can afford and those who cannot. Literacy is considered important because of its contribution to human development, and libraries strive to encourage people to read and know more.
Locally, NSO`s recent figures that less than half the population reads with some regularity made heads turn. The minister of education himself acknowledged the need of a national council on the matter.
But how does the publishing industry reconcile itself with institutions that make it their job to provide books for free, albeit lending them for a limited period? According to Book Industry Trends 2001, published by the Book Industry Study Group last year, libraries in the United States purchased almost $2 billion worth of books. This figure amounts to some one-tenth of publishers` net sales.
It is also argued that literature found in libraries encourages patrons to buy and make copies of good works their own. Reading a book is much more enticing than reading a review, especially if the book is of high-quality content.
Technological advances have made it possible to change the format in which literature is presented. Gothenburg`s pressed literature can be easily replaced by compact discs accessed from computers. Ebrary, a technology company, is making available various literature works available on the internet which, however, can only be printed or copied against a charged rate.
This may seem as a compromise between copyright holders and libraries. However, this same system erodes the archival role of the library, as hard copies cannot be obtained.
Other methods have been considered, such as literature in digital form which disappears after being read by a set number of people, or regular payments in order to renew the librarian`s licence to use the work. These, of course, create reactionary protests from the librarians` camp. The costs for maintaining and updating a library will spiral up high!
At any rate, the tension will still continue between those in favour of access to knowledge and copyright holders wanting to protect their work. In the meantime, enjoy Unesco`s World Book Day.
Remember the people behind the books you read, and go visit a library near you!