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Library presenter: about 35% of collection is online and copyright limits broader digitization
Summary
A preservation-services staff member said roughly 35% of the Library of Congress collection is digitized and explained that copyright law prevents digitizing works by living authors until a post-mortem term (stated in the talk as '74 years'), limiting how much can be made available online.
During the question-and-answer period, an audience member asked how the internet has changed the library's work. The presenter said about 35% of the Library's collection is available online, but cited copyright law as a constraint on wider digitization: the Library cannot digitize works still under copyright and referenced an extended post-mortem period before some works can be made public.
"Well, about 35% of the library's collection is online," the presenter said. She added: "So we can't digitize it until 74 years after their death," language used in the talk to describe the practical limitations the Library faces when handling works still protected by copyright. The presenter framed the policy as a reason the library still needs physical copies and book sales to respect living authors' rights.
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