Do copyright laws affect libraries?
Unfortunately, the increasing imbalance in copyright law is having negative effects on the ability of libraries to provide their public services. Anti-circumvention rules make it difficult for libraries to archive and loan content. Even worse, certain publishers have announced their intent to “push back” on the libraries and force them to charge patrons for accessing electronic books. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A36584-2001Feb7 “The [American Association of Publishers] is looking for ways to charge library patrons for information. ‘Politically,’ Schroeder says, ‘it’s the toughest issue. Libraries have a wonderful image.'” http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/shulman0601.asp “[The president of the American Association of Publishers] has been quoted as saying that publishers have to ‘learn to push back’ against libraries, which she portrays as an organized band of pirates!” http://www.ala.org/washoff/dmca.html “Over the long term, these technological ‘locks’
