European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations

European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations
Name	European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations
Abbreviation	EBLIDA
Formation	1992
Type	Non-governmental organization
Status	Association
Purpose	Library policy, information access, copyright advocacy
Headquarters	The Hague, Netherlands
Region served	Europe
Language	English, French
Leader title	Director

Contents

European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations is a European umbrella association for national, regional and specialist library and information science organizations that promotes access to information, freedom of expression and copyright balance across the European Union, Council of Europe and other European institutions. Founded to represent library and information professionals in policy debates, it engages with bodies such as the European Parliament, European Commission, World Intellectual Property Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

History

EBLIDA's formation in 1992 followed discussions among associations including the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, the British Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and national bodies like the Deutscher Bibliotheksverband, Federazione Italiana Biblioteche, and Biblioteca Nacional de España aimed at coordinating European advocacy. Early milestones involved participation in events alongside the Council of Europe committees, consultations with the European Court of Justice, and contributions to directives such as the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s EBLIDA collaborated with networks including CENL, LIBER, Public Libraries 2020, EIFL, and civil society actors like Electronic Frontier Foundation and Access Info Europe to shape debates on rights managed by bodies such as the World Wide Web Consortium and standards set by ISO committees. The organization responded to policy initiatives from the European Economic Community transition to the European Union and engaged with the Berne Convention framework, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, and the Lisbon Strategy on knowledge society development.

EBLIDA's objectives align with the mandates of institutions such as the European Commission's Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, and the Council of Europe's human rights instruments, promoting principles reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Its mission emphasizes support for public service bodies including the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, National Library of Scotland, and networks such as European Research Council partners, while advocating balanced copyright exceptions informed by jurisprudence from the Court of Justice of the European Union and international treaties like the Berne Convention. The association advances initiatives connecting cultural institutions such as the European Library, Europeana, and national heritage agencies including the Smithsonian Institution and Rijksmuseum in policy forums.

Governance draws on models used by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, with an elected Board of Directors resembling boards of the British Council and European Cultural Foundation. Administrative headquarters in The Hague coordinate secretariat functions akin to those in organizations such as the Royal Society and engage legal counsel familiar with cases before the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union. Committees mirror standing committees in entities like the Council of the European Union and task forces in networks such as the Global Libraries program, and working groups collaborate with research bodies like the European University Association and the Open Knowledge Foundation.

Members include national associations comparable to Verband Deutscher Bibliothekare, the Association of European Research Libraries (LIBER), trade unions such as the Trades Union Congress-aligned library groups, and specialist bodies like the Medical Library Association and Special Libraries Association. Affiliates comprise major institutions such as the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, National Library of Ireland, university libraries including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Humboldt University of Berlin, and city systems like Bibliothèque de la Ville de Paris, Stadtbibliothek Köln, and Stockholm Public Library. International partners extend to the Library of Congress, National Diet Library (Japan), National Library of China, and networks including Public Libraries 2020 and Knowledge Unlatched.

EBLIDA runs programs on copyright reform similar in scope to campaigns by Creative Commons and collaborates on digital preservation with organizations like the Internet Archive and the Digital Preservation Coalition. Training and professional development initiatives mirror offerings by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and include conferences with speakers from institutions such as the European Parliament, UNESCO, OECD, and universities like University College London and University of Barcelona. Projects address access to audiovisual heritage in partnership with the European Broadcasting Union and bibliographic standards with bodies like Dewey Decimal Classification publishers and the Library of Congress Classification custodians. EBLIDA's publications and policy papers have appeared alongside work by the Open Society Foundations, King Baudouin Foundation, and academic publishers such as Routledge and Elsevier.

Advocacy engagements put EBLIDA in consultation with the European Commission's DG CONNECT, the European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs, and national ministries akin to the Ministry of Culture (France), influencing directives comparable to the InfoSoc Directive and legislation related to the General Data Protection Regulation. It has provided expert testimony in hearings resembling those before the Council of Europe and collaborated with civil society coalitions including European Digital Rights and Access Now. Legal and policy analyses reference case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union, precedent from the European Court of Human Rights, and international frameworks including the WTO TRIPS Agreement.

Key partnerships include work with the Europeana Foundation, the European Research Council, the OpenAIRE initiative, and consortia like COST actions and Horizon projects funded by the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programs. Collaborative projects have linked EBLIDA with the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the European Digital Library, Linked Open Data initiatives, and digitisation efforts comparable to national programs at the Biblioteca Nacional de España and National Library of Sweden. Other project partners have included the European University Association, Association of European Research Libraries, PubMed Central-related networks, and philanthropic funders such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Category:Libraries in Europe