On 9 May 2017, a five year court battle between publishers and universities finally came to an end when the Supreme Court of India dismissed an appeal by the Indian Reprographic Rights Organization (IRRO) challenging an earlier judgment of Delhi High Court that ruled course packs in India legal for educational purposes.

EIFL and Next Library® awarded seven librarians from developing and transition economy countries scholarships to attend the Next Library Festival 2017, which took place in Aarhus, Denmark from 11 - 14 June. After the festival, we asked them to tell us what they had learnt, who inspired them and what festival takeaways they would apply in their libraries back home. Here’s what they said.

As more and more publishers introduce options for publishing in open access, it can be difficult for researchers to decide where to publish and what they should expect to pay. This blog provides an overview of publishing options and article processing charges (APCs) offered by EIFL’s publishing partners.

EIFL had two experienced representatives at the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR/34) which met in Geneva from 1-5 May 2017. Teresa Hackett, Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager and Awa Cissé, EIFL’s Copyright Coordinator in Senegal were on the ground promoting library interests to member state delegates, working closely with our international partners and seeking progress on library copyright issues at WIPO.

EIFL is participating in Fair Use/Fair Dealing Week, an annual celebration designed to highlight and promote the opportunities presented by fair use and fair dealing, celebrate success stories, and explain these doctrines. Over 40 countries around the world have fair use or fair dealing in their copyright laws.

Fifteen years ago, the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) launched a worldwide campaign for open access to all new peer ­reviewed research. There has been a tremendous progress, but we still have work to do to achieve the BOAI vision of a world in which published research in all academic fields is freely available on the internet. To celebrate the BOAI’s 15th anniversary, EIFL Open Access Programme Manager Iryna Kuchma reflects on progress in open access, and challenges facing the open access movement.

After attending the Internet Governance Forum 2016 in Mexico (6 - 9 December 2016), EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme (EIFL-PLIP) Advisor for Initiatives for Africa, Janet Sawaya, reflects on shifts in the global debate about internet inclusion, and observes a groundswell of interest in public libraries as essential internet access points.

EIFL joined a 13-strong team representing the world’s libraries, archives and museums advocating for an international treaty for fair access to knowledge at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR/33), which met in Geneva from 14-18 November 2016.

EIFL was represented at SCCR/33 by Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager, Teresa Hackett, and Pratyush Nath Upreti of Upreti & Associates in Nepal.

EIFL joins the World Blind Union and our global partners in celebrating the entry into force of the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities. In this blog, EIFL Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager Teresa Hackett discusses what the ‘miracle of Marrakesh’ means for print disabled people. Teresa is on the World Blind Union (WBU) Marrakesh Strategic Advisory Group.

On 30th September 2016, the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities enters into force.

Congratulations to our partner library consortia in Estonia and Poland, which both celebrate their 20th anniversaries this year!