Licensing Priorities
BLC will prioritize entering into agreements that uphold library usage rights as enshrined in U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C.§ 107-122), and promote library values as outlined by the American Library Association. These priorities are as follows:
- Accessibility: Library resources should be available and accessible for all library users, fully compatible with assistive technology, and compliant with current ADA regulations.
- Affordability: Pricing models should be sustainable, transparent, and demonstrate value.
- Privacy and Security: All data gathered by vendors about library users should only be kept in aggregated, anonymized form, and never shared with third parties or used for marketing purposes.
- Scholarly Sharing: Licenses should not include terms that in any way restrict users’ rights under Fair Use or any other educational exception of the U.S. Copyright Law.
- Transparency: Licenses should not contain a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or confidentiality clause that would limit libraries’ ability to share and discuss their contractual terms and pricing.
Digital Library Rights
Library services are integral to academic freedom, equity of access to knowledge, and dissemination of such knowledge across the globe. BLC is committed to protecting our users’ digital library rights, which include:
- Comprehensive interlibrary loan
- Metadata rights for librarians
- Digital fair use
- No technological surveillance
- Sustainable preservation
- Limitations on digital rights management (DRM) restrictions
- No contractual prohibitions on AI tools
- Unburdensome authentication methods
- Rights for authors to their own work
Vendor Expectations
Consortial agreements should align with BLC's licensing priorities, and vendors working with BLC should support library users' digital rights.
See more about BLC's vendor expectations on our Information for Vendors page.