Press: “Quid futurum litterarum? : will there be a Digital Public Library of America? Part 1.”

“According to Pamela Samuelson, professor of law and information management at the University of California, Berkeley, the issue is not whether the DPLA would serve a great purpose.  The crux of the matter is that in order to make virtual books available, a digital copy of the original must first be made, which in plain language violates copyright law.  Public libraries make print materials legally available to its clientele and respect intellectual property law by consciously refraining from making reproductions.  In order for a digital library to even exist, the scanning of hardcopy titles is essential, and so an exemption must be permitted—hence the legal wrangling.  With hopes to launch a prototype in 18 months, a steering committee is working toward the possibility of a digital public library, but at present, it is not apparent whether one is in our future. Harvard Law professor and chairman of the committee, John Palfrey admits ‘it may well fail. But it is worth the effort.’”

From Lars Halle’s article on UArts Libraries News, “Quid futurum litterarum? : will there be a Digital Public Library of America? Part 1.”