Europeana and Access to Digital Content

Tania Todorova

Abstract

Digitization of cultural heritage, the status of digital resources and observance for copyright, the development of Еuropeana and the activities of libraries in implementing the digital conversion of cultural materials – these problems compile the trouble range of the paper. Emphasizing the role of libraries as creators of digital content, as gateways for access to digitized information and as a factor in overcome the digital divide and isolation – the paper summarizes the positions of the European Commission and library organizations IFLA, EBLIDA, LIBER, ALA, eIFL etc. and their interaction with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other partners in defending the interests of libraries and their users in preparing changes to information legislation, who aimed placing the management of copyright in line with the digital technologies and expand use of Internet.