LIBER Signs Statement on the Exemption of Not-for-profit Educational and Scientific Repositories, Digital Archives and Libraries from the Digital Services Act

7th April 2022, THE HAGUE – LIBER has, as of the 5th of April 2022, signed a joint statement on the exemption of not-for-profit educational and scientific repositories, digital archives, and libraries from the Digital Services Act.

The statement has been signed by research organisations, libraries, repositories, and university networks across Europe.

The parties call for the exclusion of not-for-profit repositories, digital archives, and libraries from the obligations of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The education and research sector importantly relies on many repositories, digital archives, and libraries to ensure access to up-to-date results and knowledge for researchers, students, and citizens alike.

According to the statement, “Not-for-profit scientific and educational repositories, digital archives, and libraries that allow for the upload of content by students, researchers, and third parties – such as in the context of citizen science projects undertaken by universities or libraries – are likely to fall in the scope of the current version of the Digital Services Act. This is in spite of the fact that the legislation is devised for and targeted at commercial platforms. As a result, not-for-profit educational and scientific digital infrastructures would incur additional administrative and financial costs.”

LIBER Executive Director, Astrid Verheusen, had the following to say upon the signing of the statement, “Research libraries across Europe play a fundamental part in ensuring that legislation seeks to protect and stimulate educational and scientific development as well as the spreading of knowledge. Moreover, as a European organisation protecting the rights of research libraries and their users, we deem this statement to be of top priority and we hope it will have the desired impact for our community of research libraries.”

Feel free to read the full statement and particulars here.

[Photo: Dimitri Karastelev, Unsplash]