Digital Libraries, Archives, and Rights Registries

The rise of ebooks has not only changed the way we read but also the way we disseminate and access texts. Revolutions in electronic texts and digital media have created a need for new digital archives, and various initiatives have begun to consolidate, organize and share some of the internet's vast store of knowledge.

The creation of digital libraries and archives pose multiple legal challenges. Though digital libraries can incorporate public domain works into their collections, copyright laws limit the potential scope of such projects, and gray-area issues like orphan works pose further concerns that must be resolved. Additionally, such libraries and archives would rely on comprehensive metadata, and the best way to accumulate that data would be sourcing it from other endeavors, necessitating open-license metadata. Issues like these, coupled with the technical difficulty of supporting such ambitious projects, make digital libraries and archives an ideal intersection for multiple dominant cyberlaw issues.

Of the many recent attempts, several online libraries and archives are making headway in the field. Europeana has aggregated much of the digital collections from European museums, archives and libraries, allowing users first-hand access to Europe's cultural history. The Internet Archive provides not only texts and other media, but also snapshots of the internet at different points in its history. These and many other digital library efforts are redefining traditional notions of the library and bringing accessible structure to the expansive collections available online. In December 2010, the Berkman Center joined the movement towards comprehensive digital collections, launching the Digital Public Library of America planning initiative with generous support from the Alfred P. Sloan foundation. The ambitious project recently concluded its Beta Sprint, a public solicitation for ideas and designs for the DPLA.

For more information, visit the DPLA Wiki!