Copyright Literacy and the Role of Librarians as Educators and Advocates

The paper is inspired by the opening panel of the International Federation of Library Associations’ (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress off-site meeting held in Poland in August 2017 on models for copyright education. The panel was made up of researchers from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Turkey, Romania, and Norway and reflected on findings from a multinational study on levels of copyright literacy of librarians and those in the cultural heritage sector (Todorova et al., 2017). The members of the panel considered the rationale for copyright education, why it might be viewed as part of wider information literacy initiatives, and the specific challenges and opportunities that it presents. The paper recognizes the value in national library associations and international organizations such as IFLA and Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) taking a lead in promoting copyright education initiatives to strengthen their advocacy role. The paper also argues for a more critical and universal approach to copyright education so that this work is extended beyond the library sector.