The basis for all development: libraries in Senegal advocate for access to knowledge

A study by the African Copyright & Access to Knowledge project (ACA2K) (2009) concluded that the copyright law in Senegal is not conducive to increasing legitimate access to learning materials. The results of an EIFL-IP supported project, led by the Consortium of Higher Educational Libraries of Senegal (COBESS), who decided to take action to bring about the change, are described in a case study and illustrated in a project poster

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ABOUT THE RESOURCE

TYPE:
Case Study
DATE:
June 2013
DOCUMENT LANGUAGE:
English
OTHER LANGUAGES:
ADDITIONAL NOTES:

For more information, please contact Project Manager Awa Diouf Cissé

The copyright law of Senegal, a francophone nation in west Africa with Least Developed Country (LDC) status, was significantly overhauled in 2008. A study by the (aca2k.org/attachments/154_Senegal%20ACA2K%20Country%20Report.pdf) African Copyright & Access to Knowledge project (ACA2K) (2009) found that the main effect of the Law is to further strengthen the protection of copyright owners with no focus on the rights of users, and concludes that the copyright environment in Senegal is not conducive to increasing legitimate access to learning materials. Under the leadership of the Consortium of Higher Educational Libraries of Senegal (COBESS), it was decided to take action to bring about the change.

In a short time, the library community was strengthened with new knowledge about the inescapable role of libraries in providing access to knowledge - the basis for all development, and new partnerships were forged with policy-makers.

The project results are described in a case study and illustrated in a project poster, one of eight EIFL-IP funded projects in 2013 for advocacy campaigns in support of copyright law reform in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Youssoupha Gueye, EIFL Country Coordinator in Senegal displays the results of the project at the 2013 EIFL General Assembly in Istanbul.