Improving copyright administration in academic libraries in Ghana: Stakeholder perspectives

Abstract

The interests of actors in the copyright debate needs harmonisation to properly harness the benefits of the  copyright  system. This study employed the mixed methods sequential explanatory approach to investigate  the opinions of  stakeholders on how the administration of copyright in academic libraries in Ghana can be  improved. Data was  collected from 530 postgraduate students and 38 library staff using questionnaires, and  from four head librarians in  one-on-one interview sessions. Data from two focus group discussion sessions  involving six students each, on the one  hand, and the five members of the Technical Committee of CopyGhana,  on the other hand, was also used as part of the  study. The students and the librarians were from two private  and two public universities. The librarians recommended  making copyright issues less technical, and less  legal. They also suggested the need to enact laws or guidelines on  digital content. Among others, the students  suggested integrating IP education into their courses and linking it to their  future career options. This was  corroborated by the rightsholders. The rightsholders also believe that payment of a  token reprographic fee  by each student every academic year could mitigate the economic losses they incur due to  unauthorised  photocopying of their copyrighted materials. However, this requires a buy-in from the university  authorities.  The suggestion to incorporate issues of copyright into the academic curriculum from day one is a laudable  one that must be taken seriously by authorities of academic institutions if copyright is to be given the needed  attention  in academic libraries.