International Cooperation

Background and goals

The development of information technology has increased libraries' awareness of the importance of international cooperation. The ability to utilize this technology and offer users new and better services requires international rules and agreements to govern how information is to be handled and managed.

This is part of the reason why the National Library is so involved in international cooperation. Our  mission statement provides that the library must be a dynamic actor in the European library arena and a significant actor in international library efforts.

Our Commitment

The National Library's commitment extends across a broad spectrum that includes, among many other activities, the following:

Digitization, provision and long-term preservation

In September 2005 the EU Commission introduced a development initiative (i2010, Digital Libraries) with a view to encouraging the digitization of the European cultural inheritance. The goal is to create a common multilingual input, or portal, to collections housed in archives, libraries and museums.

Copyright issues

In connection with these efforts, intensive cooperation is under way with regard to copyright issues. If the EU Commission's initiative is to succeed, libraries must, subject to reasonable terms and conditions, be able to digitize and make available copyright-protected material as well. Otherwise the current term of copyright protection, which lasts for 70 years after the originator's death, will entail that only material published up until the early 1900s can be digitized. A final resolution to this problem is being negotiated with rightholder organizations.

Cooperation

 The National Library participates in the following organizations and networks. Our representative(s) are identified by name after each organization.

Global

Europe

The Nordic Region

Last updated: 2009-12-17
Contact person: Kjell Nilsson, e-mail: firstname.lastname@kb.se

National Library