Speaker Details

First Name:	Teresa
Last Name:	M. Hackett
Abstract:	“Libraries and the global marketplace: activating for access” Teresa Hackett, Project Manager, Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL.net) in transition & developing countries eLF-IP ( Ireland) Libraries are gateways to knowledge, culture and education, responding to the individual needs of citizens throughout their lives. Publicly funded libraries often have special responsibilities defined in law e.g. to promote education and cultural activity or to collect and preserve the national cultural heritage. Just as the sharing of knowledge knows no borders, the rules that govern copyright are international. Increasingly however, international and bi-lateral agendas are driven by the global entertainment industries. This has resulted in tighter rules and increased standards of protection. Rules that are relevant for protecting mass entertainment content are not necessarily relevant when it comes to education and research, yet they impact directly on not-for-profit libraries that find themselves inadvertently in the global digital marketplace. The same technologies that promise great opportunities for universal access have also introduced new restrictions resulting in fewer rights for libraries and their users. As custodians of the public interest, librarians must activate for access to knowledge; to maintain the traditional balance between the interests of users and the interests of rightholders, to extend access in the digital environment, to protect the public domain. Librarians must be effective advocates for access to knowledge, especially at international policy fora, must create alliances with like-minded groups and raise awareness amongst the library community and library users. Otherwise the mission of libraries in the twenty-first century may be jeopardised.
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