Workshop 5 | Shaping the Framework for Access to Information

Room: Andreas Themistokleous – Room Lefkosia
Organised by the Knowledge Rights 21 Project
Speakers: Ana Lazarova, Deborah de Angelis and Giorgios Glossiotis

In recent years, faced with technological, political, and ideological changes, libraries have faced growing threats to their ability to offer their services to the public, and even to operate according to their principles and missions.

The KnowledgeRight21 Project, in which LIBER is a partner, is focused on building networks and capacity to make change happen in legislation and practice across Europe that will strengthen the right of all to knowledge. It is built on our conviction that the free and open sharing of knowledge is essential for education, innovation and cultural participation, and that everyone should have the possibility to access and use information in both analogue and digital forms.

Progress is possible, but cannot be taken for granted.

Coming soon after the European Parliament elections, and with a new European Commission on the way, this workshop will start with an overview of the landscape facing those advocating for laws and policies that enable research libraries to achieve their missions.

Using a birds of a feather format, we will then use the rest of the time to exchange ideas both on analysing the current state of legislation in key areas across different countries (notably secondary publishing rights, rights retention, open licences, the impact of contracts and technological protection measures, and eBooks), and sharing experience of what works – and what is needed – in ensuring that decision-makers at all levels are treating supporting research as a priority policy objective.

In this, we will draw on the analysis commissioned by the Knowledge Rights 21 programme as an evidence-base for the work of librarians and other knowledge advocates, as well as the experience of its network of national coordinators active across Europe, tasked with helping libraries to get their voice heard.

The focus is on working with participants to reflect on their own engagement in shaping policy decisions, and to stimulate reflection on how to use available tools most effectively. Overall, the session will generate new insights that can support the field as a whole, as well as support in the delivery of Knowledge Rights 21 goals.

In particular, participants at this session will come away with:

A strategic overview of the key issues on the table for the incoming European Parliament and Commission mandates
An understanding of the resources and insights available to them through the LIBER-supported Knowledge Rights 21 Programme
Ideas and motivation to engage more effectively in shaping policy related to libraries and research

Proposed programme

Introduction
What’s on the agenda? Presentation and discussion about the issues on the table for the incoming European Parliament and Commission, and questions
Knowledge sharing: short presentation of information resources on the state of laws and policies based on KR21 resources, discussion about this, complementing the data, and discussion of how it can be used
Knowledge sharing: short presentation of the KR21 National Coordinator network, and the types of activity they are carrying out, discussion about how to make more of this, and activate more at the national level