Updated July 2020
Controlled Digital Lending Implementers (CDLI) was established in April 2020 when a group of collaborating libraries, consortia, software developers and resource sharing leaders came together with a shared goal of implementing controlled digital lending services within our respective communities. This effort was spurred by the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused libraries around the world to close their buildings, dramatically reducing access to physical library collections. Several pandemic-related emergency initiatives that approximate certain aspects of CDL exist, but widespread and sustainable approaches to controlled digital lending applications have not yet taken hold in which libraries have the means and support for mediated CDL as part of everyday operations.
Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) is the digital equivalent of traditional library lending. A library can digitize a physical item it owns and lend out a secured digital version to one user at a time, while simultaneously removing the physical item from circulation. When connected with the various workflows, decisions, policies, and mechanisms similar to those used in traditional ILL, CDLI believes that CDL will expand and transform the way libraries provide one of their core services by offering an effective means of safely and securely circulating library materials to our users - especially those for whom physical access presents a hardship, while simultaneously protecting the rights of the publishing community.
CDLI will operate as a discussion forum, allowing implementers to coordinate and plan for development efforts that will meet the distinct needs of individual institutions wishing to implement CDL for their communities, while taking into account the larger technology and services ecosystem to avoid duplicated efforts.
Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) will become an effective and widely accepted approach to library access services in support of institutional missions.
CDLI will achieve its vision and provide a forum for implementers to coordinate efforts, establish best practices, and establish a community of practice by:
Leading development of use cases, user stories and a shared model supporting a standards-based, interoperable implementation of Controlled Digital Lending within a variety of library and consortial settings,
Promoting the development of best practices,
Advocating for technology standards, and
Coordinating development efforts on behalf of participating institutions to maximize impact and to reduce duplication of effort.
CDLI has identified several ways in which CDLI or those interested in CDL may contribute to this effort today:
Resourcing CDLI by contributing funds and/or software development to support coordinated efforts;
Implementing and using CDL
Engaging resource sharing and shared print retention communities to participate in this effort as an extension of current efforts to provide access to retained physical materials; and
Engaging library collections-focused communities to consider CDL as an access point when licensing purchased collections.
CDLI will meet at least once monthly and aims to support implementers by developing shared models, best practices, and standards-based approaches to CDL.
Tim McGeary, David Hansen, Andrea Loigman -- Duke University
Sebastian Hammer, Kristen Wilson -- Index Data
Scott Garrison, MCLS
Jill Morris (PALCI), Allen Jones (The New School), and Boaz Nadav-Manes (Lehigh University) -- PALCI
David Larsen (University of Chicago), Kristina Rose (New York University) -- ReShare Product Management Team
Tom Cramer -- Stanford University
Lisa Croucher, Kelly Farrell -- TRLN
Stuart Snydman, Laura Morse, Kyle Courtney -- Harvard
Nora Dimmock, Anthony Helm -- Brown
Jon Stroop, Esmé Cowles -- Princeton
*CDLI welcomes additional institutional and individual participants from any library, consortium, technology or industry partner. Note organizational affiliations are included for individuals participating in CDLI as a point of reference and does not necessarily indicate institutional endorsement. To join the CDLI email list, please visit: https://groups.google.com/g/cdl-implementers.