Locked Collections: Copyright and the Future of Research Support

Abstract

Researchers in institutions of higher education depend on access to the scholarly record, and academic libraries play a critical role in supporting this research. As academic collections shift to primarily electronic format, research support is in jeopardy. Copyright holders, through the use of licensing and contracts to control electronic works, limit or prohibit interlibrary loan and other means of research support. As predominantly digital library collections increase, libraries may find that they have locked collections. They will be unable to lend or to borrow. This article examines how increased reliance on e-collections impacts the ability of academic libraries to support research and explores and assesses various approaches to ensure research support. The article urges that libraries actively pursue agreements that reinforce their mission to support the creation, dissemination and preservation of knowledge. At the same time, libraries must be agents of change, serving as active participants in the transformation of the scholarly communication system.