On 15 July 2024, the senior fellows Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa (Univ. of Colombo), Prof. Dr. Nishantha Sampath Punchihewa (Univ. of Colombo) and Prof. Dr. W. K. M. Mervin Kumara Weerasinghe (Univ. of Kelaniya) gave an insight into the topic “Digital Access to Library Content – Legal Frameworks in Germany and Sri Lanka” in their lecture.

The digital transformation has profoundly changed the ways in which library content can be accessed. Especially with regards to countries of the Global South, where physical libraries are often few and far between, these new ways of accessing library content generate exciting opportunities for enabling large parts of the population to access content which before was unavailable to them. These opportunities are, however, limited by technological, financial, and – often most importantly – legal constraints. Taking up the latter, a current project at the Centre for Advanced Study examines and compares two specific legal frameworks that govern access to library content: That of Germany and that of Sri Lanka. By comparing the legal framework of a country of the Global North with that of a country of the Global South, the project hopes to gain a clearer understanding of the challenges posed in either case and, ultimately, develop new approaches for addressing these challenges.