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LIBER statement on Covid-19


17 April 2020

During the coronavirus crisis, LIBER, the Association of European Research Libraries, calls on European Commissioners, Member State governments, publishers and authors to urgently help libraries, universities and other educational establishments, so that they can continue supplying researchers, teachers and students with access to books, archives and other instructional materials.


In their statement, LIBER asks for:

Member State Governments and European Commissioners to act immediately to ensure that publicly accessible libraries and educational establishments are able to support the overnight switch to remote access.

Urgent guidance to be issued to ensure that researchers, educational establishments and libraries are able for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis to fulfil their educational responsibilities and provide remote services using in-copyright works without fear of litigation.

Publishers, authors and their trade bodies to make a public pledge to allow the following activities with immediate effect where no blanket licences currently cover a particular institution: (1) document supply of whole items to specific individuals (2) remote access to eBooks currently limited to premises only access, for research purposes to named specific individuals (3) use of copyright works in recorded or streamed teaching activities aimed solely at pupils, students and researchers (4) public libraries to read stories across the internet.

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