National Law University Delhi in association with Ambedkar University Delhi organized an International Seminar on Access to Knowledge and the Future of Digital Libraries in India; Technology, Law and Policy on May 17, 2023. The Seminar witnessed the presence of esteemed dignitaries including Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai, Vice Chancellor, National Law University Delhi, Prof. (Dr.) Anu Singh Lather, Vice Chancellor Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi, Prof. (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur, Registrar, National Law University Delhi, Dr. Nitin Malik, Registrar, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi, Prof. (Dr.) Lawrence Liang, Dean, SLGC, Professor, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi, Prof. Kim Nayyar, Edward Cornell Law Librarian and Associate Dean for Library Services Professor of Practice, Cornell University, Carl Malamud President and Founder Public Resource and other acclaimed faculty members from National Law University Delhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Delhi during the inaugural session.
During the inaugural session, Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai and Prof. (Dr.) Anu Singh Lather Hon’ble Vice Chancellors of the National Law University Delhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi exchanged “Memorandum of Understanding” to foster in the area of academic cooperation. The Universities came in agreement to serve as mutually agreed principles to undertake activities of mutual interest of the two institutions including research opportunity to students and researchers for increasing the effectiveness of teaching and research; jointly organizing seminars, conferences and academic workshops on topics of mutual interest, publishing books, monographs, seminar and workshop volumes etc., disseminating knowledge in general, organizing capacity building programmes, exchanging faculty/staff students, conducting joint research and publication activities and exchanging of academic resources materials and any other project/activities of mutual interest.
After the inaugural session, the main session was graced by their auspicious presence and brainstorming speeches of Prof. Kim Nayyer Edward Cornell, Law Librarian Associate Dean for Library Services Professor of Practice, Cornell University on the theme Controlled Lending: the Global Perspective. She being a President of Canadian Law Libraries elaborated Crown Copyright Laws of Canada and implementation of Digital Lending issues and challenges in Canada, US and European Countries; Carl Malamud President and Founder Public Resource spoke on the theme Towards a National Law Library of India and his contribution in Internet Archive for scanning Indian contents and providing access worldwide; Prof. Lawrence Liang Dean, SLGC, Ambedkar University, Delhi, shared his expertise thought on the issue “The Normative Underpinning of the Library Exception in Indian Copyright Laws discussed about monopoly of publishers in various diplomatic moves”; and Dr. Priya Rai Deputy Librarian, NLU Delhi elaborated on the issue Digital Licensing: Issues and Concerns explained open access contents and digital licensing policies under the chairmanship of Prof. (Dr.) R. K. Bhatt Professor & HOD, Department of Library & Info Science University of Delhi, Delhi.
The Seminar was witnessed of presence more than eighty delegates from various esteemed institutions including Parliament of India; renowned law Firms; Law Universities; Indian Law Institute; National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, GGSIP University Delhi, University of Delhi, Punjabi University; The Energy Research Institution and others. The Seminar was concluded with the question hours.