Canadian Resources

Canadian Resources in OpenLibrary

The OpenLibrary is not just for those living in the United States! This page details resources in OpenLibrary related to Canada, and software ready for deployment on OpenLibrary which will enhance the discovery of Canadian Public Domain works.

OpenLibrary is pleased to welcome Creative Commons Canada into the fold. Creative Commons Canada will be taking a leadership role in the continued development of Canadian Resources in OpenLibrary, including the porting of the CC Public Domain Dedication to Canadian laws and languages.

Added Features

Automatic Public Domain / Copyright status determination code for Canadian works.

• This will make a best guess assessment of the copyright status for works published in Canada.

  • Now that you (and OpenLibrary) know what works are in the public domain you can request to have that worked scanned and made available online! Requesting a scan is easy and benefits everyone.

  • Converting copyright law to code is an involved process and you can learn more about it on the copyright documentation page. See the Canadian public domain algorithm.

  • Flowchart for calculating when Canadian copyright works enter the public domain.

  • OpenLibrary Templates written for Canadian and US citizens will customize the results to their own legal jurisdiction - Canadian Copyright.

  • Building on top of the already implemented Internationalization (i18n) OpenLibrary will now be able to provide a more native feel for each user no matter where they are from.

More records imported into OpenLibrary (TBA)!

• Currently featuring 172,843 bibliographic records from Canadian educational and governmental institutions including: Brock University, Carleton University, Havergal College, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Library and Archives Canada - Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, McMaster University, Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador, National Institute for Newman Studies, Ontario College of Art & Design, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ryerson University, Saint Mary's College of California - In partnership with the University of Toronto, Toronto Public Library: Research and Reference Libraries, Tufts University and the National Science Foundation, University of Alberta, University of Guelph, University of Ottawa and University of Toronto.

  • Additional records from Library and Archives Canada and others are hoped to be added soon. These records will help increase the coverage and accuracy of OpenLibrary.

  • While the records are predominantly of works published in Canada the more records that OpenLibrary has the more accurate the information is for every user of the system. And with more accurate data the more accurate the public domain/copyright status determination code will be.

The Future

What does it mean now that these new features and data sets have been added to OpenLibrary?

• This gives a clear example of how other institutions and organizations can work with OpenLibrary to make the service better for everyone. For an overview of this process and other ways to help, check out the How You Can Help page.