Book Review: Licensing Digital Content: A Practical Guide for Librarians, Third Edition

Abstract

Who can use the content that a library licenses? What are e-rights? Can licensed digital content be distributed through interlibrary loan? The digital revolution has altered how libraries acquire and distribute content to patrons. Gone are the days in which libraries primarily purchased and owned physical materials. In the internet era, content can be temporarily leased electronically, which has led to unexpected legal issues for librarians and other non-lawyers to navigate (1). In Licensing Digital Content: A Practical Guide for Librarians, Harris provides a plain-language crash course in digital licensing intended to give inexperienced librarians the skills necessary to negotiate a digital license. The guide provides readers with a detailed description of the licensing experience from the development of a licensing needs assessment to the negotiation of the final agreement.