Frequently Asked Questions

Which countries are eligible to participate in eIFL.net?

Answer: Any country which is on the list of poor and developing countries in the World Bank Index can take part in eIFL.net, providing there is an existing library consortium or the community is willing to form one. The consortium has to be able to raise the funds for an initial eIFL.net national workshop before joining the negotiations for access to e-resources and the other eIFL.net programs.

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What are the benefits of joining eIFL.net?

Answer: Through eIFL.net, libraries and their users all over the world gain access to e-resources and knowledge that they would not have been able to afford otherwise. In addition, librarians’ capacity to manage e-resources and to handle all related aspects as well as to take advantage of ICT is greatly enhanced through eIFL.net’s programs and activities.

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How can my library participate in eIFL.net?

Answer: Please take a look at the list of eIFL.net countries: if your country is there you should get in touch with the eIFL.net national coordinator (details are given in the list of countries) to discuss becoming a member of the library consortium. If the country is not listed, please get in touch with the eIFL.net team (info[at]eifl.net) to discuss how your country and library can join eIFL.net.

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How can my country join eIFL.net?

Answer: Your country has to be eligible (see FAQ Which countries are eligible).The library community must already have organised a consortium or be willing to create one. The community should also be willing to discuss the eIFL.net Memorandum of Understanding and to raise the annual fee which applies to your country (see FAQ What does it cost to take part in eIFL.net)

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How did eIFL.net come into being?

Answer: eIFL.net started in October 1999, as an initiative of the Open Society Institute (OSI), a private grant-making and operating foundation, part of the Soros Foundation network. Its goal was to bring affordable access to e-resources to the countries in its network. For this multi-country initiative, the national site license model was adopted. In return for the stated price per country, an unlimited number of libraries could register for access and an unlimited number of users could use the services simultaneously. With this model, OSI not only sought to address the growing digital divide between East and West, North and South, but also to ensure equitable access within each country. In 2003, eIFL.net became an independent foundation, incorporated in the Netherlands and with an office in Rome, Italy.

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