Executive summary
The physical libraries in the Nordic countries resemble each other and all other libraries in Europe, but their solutions for digital lending vary widely. It ranges from Denmark's "eReolen," which has 9.2 million loans a year, to Iceland, which does not have a digital lending service.
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland have chosen different solutions for each of the elements that make up a digital lending service; administration/distribution, frontends, negotiations with publishers, selection of titles, lending models, and usage restrictions.
The major differences are partly due to the fact that libraries do not have digital lending rights as they do physical ones, and therefore the national solutions are subjected to local priorities and market logic rather than internationally standardized solutions.
There is a gap in the digital literature delivery across the Nordic countries and languages, such that Nordic citizens are cut off from being able to borrow digital titles from other Nordic countries.
The official Nordic co-operation can increase its digital engagement in four different ways.
Through its prestigious literature prizes, the Nordic Council has a portfolio of titles that are particularly connected to the official Nordic co-operation. This portfolio can be used to limit the titles it will focus on for dissemination and possibly lending.
Ranked by expenses, the four solutions are
develop a digital dissemination universe, where links to titles on the Nordic lending services are provided
sponsor Nordic content on the Nordic e-lending services
establish its own e-lending service via Overdrive
establish its own e-lending service, which however requires larger investments.
However, there are significant challenges in the last three solutions, not least that publishers are not required to make titles available for pubic libraries.
It is recommended that the official Nordic co-operation first develops a digital dissemination universe and then engages in dialogue with Nordic stakeholders about solutions to the restricted access to Nordic digital literature.
The official Nordic co-operation can play an interesting role in getting the process started and in highlighting the issues.