Libraries, Archives, Museums: Controlled Digital (CDL) Lending Resources: Home

Learn about CDL

Position Statement on Controlled Digital Lending. Bailey, L., Courtney, K.K., Hansen, D., Minow, M., Schultz, J., and Wu, M. (September 2018).
"Offers a good faith interpretation of U.S. copyright law for American libraries considering how to perform traditional lending functions using digital technology while preserving an appropriate balance between the public benefit of such lending and the protected interests of private rights holders."
A White Paper on Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books. Courtney, K.K., and Hansen, D.R. (2018).
Written "in support of the Position Statement on Controlled Digital Lending."
Controlled Digital Lending: Unlocking the Library’s Full Potential. Library Futures Foundation and the Intellectual Property and Information Policy Clinic at Georgetown Law. (2021).
A policy paper advocating for the use of controlled digital lending in libraries.
Controlled Digital Lending by Libraries
Website aims to help libraries “better understand the legal framework underpinning CDL, communicate their support for CDL, and build a community of expertise around the practice of CDL.”
Emplowering Libraries
The Internet Archive's campaign in support of controlled digital lending.
Future Thinking: ASERL’s Resource Guide to Controlled Digital Lending for Research Libraries. Burger, J., and Harper, J.B., Macklin, L.A., Sinn, R.N., Taylor, T., and Weisman, R. (March 2021).
CIRC (CDL Information & Recommendation Cooperative)
Website aims to “discover and evaluate potential solutions for CDL at your library.” As of February 16, 2022, includes descriptions and evaluation of Alma-D, Occam’s Reader, and Open Library.
CDL Mechanisms. Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium. (June 2021).
Detailed descriptions of many services and systems supporting CDL.
Consortial CDL: Implementing Controlled Digital Lending as a Mechanism for Interlibrary Loan. Boston Library Consortium. (September 2021).
Report and recommendations of a working group "charged with investigating delivery mechanisms, technology, workflows, policies, copyright and legal issues, shared storage solutions, and other actions related to a potential consortial implementation of CDL among interested BLC member libraries."
Guest Post – The Library Technology Market’s Failure to Support Controlled Digital Lending. Mealey, N., Rodriguez, M., Barlow, C. The Scholarly Kitchen. October 25, 2021).
NISO Working Group on an Interoperable System of Controlled Digital Lending
Objective is to develop a “consensus framework in support of controlled digital lending of book content by libraries, to be published as a NISO Recommended Practice.”

Services, technologies and tools

These services, systems, and tools range from ones supporting a single step in the CDL process (such as secure delivery of protected files), to services and systems supporting the entire CDL process. Some are only in development. For an analysis of many of these tools, see the CIRC website and ASERL "Future Thinking" resource guide listed above.

Just a few considerations in selecting tools:

Whether you need a mechanism for discovering your digitized collection
Whether you have plans to incorporate access to any other electronic resources
Your capacity to touch/handle each loan
Your ability to store access copies of your digitized resources
Your capacity or willingness to manage/maintain user accounts
Your capacity to develop or implement open-source solutions
Your borrowers, and whether they are likely to download an app to use your digitized items
Accessibility
Your budget

Open Libraries
The Internet Archive scans and hosts library books
Occam's Reader
Developed by Texas Tech University, University of Hawaii at Manoa and the Greater Western Library Alliance. Offers some CDL functionality such as limiting loan period and DRM technology and memberships to libraries at a low annual cost.
The Palace Project
A “platform…that will allow libraries to purchase, organize, and deliver ebooks and other digital content…quickly and easily while protecting patron privacy…builds on a collaboration between DPLA and LYRASIS…and uses the Library Simplified platform, an open-source code base originally designed and developed by The New York Public Library. ” We understand that the platform allows delivery of content that libraries digitize from their own collections. Patrons use an app to access content.
DLSG CDL Solutions
DLSG is responsible for KIC and Bookeye scanners and has developed a CDL solution, although it is relatively expensive.
Alma Digital
A digital asset management system from Ex Libris which supports CDL. Harvard Library is piloting use through FY22.
Caltech DIBS (Digital Borrowing System)
An open source system built by Caltech to provide books to students during the pandemic. Uses the Universal Viewer and sits behind the library's already existing authentication layer and catalog/discovery layer.
Project ReShare (in development)
A membership organization developing tools supporting CDL, including use in a consortial environment.
Digify
Incorporates DRM and file tracking. Developed for another industry, but also in use at some libraries to support CDL. Files are accessed through the browser and stored in the cloud. Library staff need to be involved with each loan.
LockLizard
Offers DRM and secure PDF viewers. In use at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Dropbox
Used by the Digital Theological Library to securely deliver protected files to patrons.
LibGuides tools from Springshare
Some libraries use LibWizard and LibGuides for placing requests and securely communicating links and passwords for CDL resources. In use at Florida Gulf Coast University and the Digital Theological Library.
Google Drive
Tested by NYU Shanghai. Fordham University Libraries developed a CDL app using it as the backend.
FileOpen
Works like a virtual data room, enabling library users to access protected files through their browser for defined periods of time.
Readium LCP
Readium's GitHub documentation describes the appropriate scenario: "Your CMS (Content Management system) already handles publications, users, purchases or loans, your technical team is able to integrate this CMS with a License server by creating a new endpoint in the CMS and requesting the License Server via its REST interface." Users need an LCP compliant reading app, such as the Thorium Reader, to use the files.
G-CDL
From the description on GitHub: "... automates the manual process of using Google Drive's share with “Prevent commenters and viewers from downloading, printing, or copying files”, and "Share with expiration" with the goal of providing access to a PDF to specified users using the Controlled Digital Lending principles.

Documents Librarian

Katie Fearer

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Alaska State Library
P.O. Box 110571
Juneau, AK 99811-0571

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IA's response to Hachette

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