The Icelandic National Library of Record

under Article 19(1) of Copyright Act No. 73 / 1972 with subsequent amendments No. 13/2021

Article 1 Legal role

The role of the Icelandic Audio Library is to provide library services to those who cannot access the normal printed texts by means of the dissemination of a wide range of library material, including educational material, in the best possible manner according to the wishes and needs of the users ().

Article 2 Use of works and other material protected by copyright law

The Icelandic Audio Library is a recognized entity within the meaning of Article 19a(3) of the Copyright Act and is authorized under Article 19c(2) of the Copyright Act to use works and other material protected under the Act in the manner specified therein.

Article 3 Selection of works

The library has the task of providing loan recipients with a variety of library options and selects a special book selection committee to make available material, see Article 19c(2) of the Copyright Act. The committee is composed of experts from the library who are responsible for communication with the readers who act as contractors with the library.

The museum publishes and updates on its website a list of the museum's collections and information on the form in which the material is available. All material made available is published in the museum's annual report.

Article 4 Personal Protection

The National Sound Library of Iceland places emphasis on protecting personal data of individuals and respecting their rights. The collection's privacy policy states for what purposes personal data are collected and how they are handled and how long they are kept. All information about individuals, whether it comes from them themselves, public bodies or authorities, is handled according to Act 90/2018 on the Protection of Privacy and the Treatment of Personal Data.

Article 5 Payments to authors

The Icelandic Library of Audio is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Culture and operates under the library law no. 150/2012 and the regulation no. 939/2013 on the Icelandic Library of Audio. Compensation for writers, see Article 19d of the Copyright Act is determined according to an agreement between the Icelandic Library of Audio and the Icelandic Writers' Union. In addition, authors are paid under the loans of the library in the same manner as is paid for loans from University libraries and public libraries, see Chapter III of the Law on Literature 91/2007 and the Ministry of Education's rules of procedure and rules of procedure on payments for use of libraries from 16 February 2021. The Icelandic Library of Audio delivers the previous year's loan figures to the Icelandic Writers' Union and the Committee for the allocation of payments for use of libraries in March each year. The cost of this is paid from the Althingi's annual budget, see Article 7(1) of the Law on Literature.

Article 6 Treatment of Article 19 of the Copyright Act

The material of the Hljóðbókasafn shall be accessible only to persons with visual or reading impairment or other authorized entities, as per Article 19c(2) of the Copyright Act. According to Article 19e of the same Act, it shall be ensured that the collection:

(a) distribute, disseminate and make copies available in accessible form only to persons with visual or reading impairment or other recognised entities;

(b) take appropriate measures to combat unauthorised copying in accessible form or the distribution, dissemination to the public or making them unauthorised;

(c) exercise due care in the management of works or other material and their copies in accessible form and keep a record thereof; and

(d) publish and update, on its website if applicable or by other means on or off the Internet, information on how it fulfils the obligations laid down in points (a) to (c).

Similarly, an accredited entity (the National Audiovisual Library) under paragraph 1 shall provide the following information in accessible form to individuals with visual or reading disabilities, other accredited entities or rights holders of works, upon request: a. a list of works or other material that it has copies of in accessible format and in what format it is available; and b. the names and contact details of accredited entities with which it has exchanged copies in accessible format.

The minimum measures of the collection are:

The beneficiaries are required to submit a certificate from a doctor, specialist and/or a specialist teacher stating how the beneficiary meets the requirements of the Act. The employees of the museum regularly inform those who sign up to the certificate about their responsibilities and the purpose of the museum. Exemption from the certificate is granted to hospitals where the household members are demented and/or seriously ill; in such cases the responsible persons have temporary access. Such access is checked regularly and the timing of loans is monitored.

Creditors are required to change their passwords once a year. Creditors can be excluded from this if there is a reason, such as disability or age.

You can't listen with the same access on more than one device at the same time.

All loans are identified and traceable.

All the material in the collection is accompanied by the following text: “The Icelandic Library of Audio serves only those who cannot use printed texts. This book is made available [yearly] in accordance with the provisions of Article 19 of the Copyright Act and the agreement between the Icelandic Library of Audio and the Icelandic Writers’ Union. This copy is the property of the Icelandic Library of Audio and it cannot be copied. Loans are marked for the beneficiaries and the library’s books are only for registered beneficiaries. The library reserves the right to close access if misuse is detected. Please note that CDs must be discarded after use.” Older copies in the collection have similar text.

Those over the age of 18 pay an annual fee and if payments are cancelled, access is blocked.

Information on loans is available for the year ahead in the accounts for payments for use of libraries, see Law No. 91/2007 on Literature.

The director regularly evaluates the procedures and practices for the handling of Article 19 of the Copyright Act and publishes on the website of the museum if changes occur.

Approved by the Minister of Education and Culture, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, in September 2021