Teresa Hackett, EIFL Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager, summarizes the key outcomes and achievements from WIPO’s copyright committee (SCCR/44) that met in Geneva from 6 - 8 November 2023. EIFL was joined at SCCR by civil society allies from the global coalition on Access to Knowledge (A2K). 

The 18th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2023), with the theme ‘The Internet We want - Empowering All People’, took place in Kyoto, Japan, and online from 8 - 12 of October. The Forum attracted over 9,000 participants from 175 countries - the highest number of participants since the first IGF in 2006.

In March 2023, the President of Nigeria signed the Copyright Act, 2022 into law. EIFL’s analysis of the new law shows it to be one of the most progressive in the world with respect to libraries and library activities. Teresa Hackett, EIFL Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager, highlights the benefits to libraries of the new law and how it can inspire librarians and policymakers in other countries in Africa, and around the world. 

Paul Muneja, Librarian at the University of Dar Es Salaam and EIFL Country and Open Access Coordinator in Tanzania discusses the importance of institutional open access repositories to the research community in Tanzania.

From 3 - 8 September 2023 four public librarians, from Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Uganda, took part in the EIFL Initiative for Young African Library Innovators (IYALI 2023) learning experience in Germany. Ramune Petuchovaite, Manager of the EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme, who accompanied the group, asked the four librarians what inspired them most during their journey.

Elena Sipria-Mironov, librarian at the University of Tartu Library and EIFL Open Access Coordinator, discusses how open access and open science have changed the academic and scientific landscape in Estonia.

Pilate Chewe, Librarian at the University of Zambia and EIFL Open Access Coordinator, reports on Zambia’s steadily growing open access movement, and the impact of improved visibility of research through an open access repository at the University of Zambia.

Milica Ševkušić, librarian at the Institute of Technical Sciences of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and EIFL Open Access Coordinator, shares milestones in the development of open access and open science in Serbia.

Open access is a new systemic approach in institutional and national policies and strategies in Moldova, writes Natalia Cheradi, Deputy Director, The Scientific Library, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM) and EIFL Open Access Country Coordinator.

Patrick Mapulanga, Librarian at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and EIFL Country Coordinator in Malawi, discusses the impact of 20 years of open access and open science in Malawi. And there are exciting plans for the future.