The International Council on Archives (ICA) is pleased to invite all members and the wider archival community to a special webinar organised with the Training Programme. This virtual session is taking place on Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 15:00–16:00 CET (Paris time) during International Archives Week 2025 (IAW2025) titled:
Archives, Access, and Copyright: What Every Archivist Should Know
This online event is part of International Archives Week 2025—now in its seventh edition—which explores the global theme #ArchivesAreAccessible – Archives for Everyone. Selected by over 300 participants in a global poll, this theme invites archivists and institutions to go beyond digitisation and address the physical, technological, and systemic barriers that continue to limit access to archives for many communities.
Through this 60-minute webinar moderated by Dr David Sutton, we will hear from leading experts in the field of copyright and archives, who will explore how a clearer understanding of copyright can strengthen our ability to provide access to archival materials. The panellists will also introduce the new ICA online course “Introduction to Copyright for Archivists”, authored by Dr Jean Dryden, and reflect on how this course can support archival professionals in their daily practice.
More information on the panellists and details on how to register can be found below.
KEY INFORMATION
Date and time
Thursday, 12 June 2025, 15:00–16:00 CET (Paris time). To confirm the time in your location, please use this time zone converter.
Location
Online
Language
English. Interpretation into French will be provided.
Date and time
Thursday, 12 June 2025, 15:00–16:00 CET (Paris time). To confirm the time in your location, please use this time zone converter.
Location
Online
Language
English. Interpretation into French will be provided.
The webinar is free and open to everyone. Registration is required to receive full details on how to connect to the virtual event.
Webinar description
This 60-minute panel discussion will examine how copyright intersects with the mission of archives to preserve and provide access to records. Through a moderated conversation, the speakers will explore:
- How copyright issues influence day-to-day archival work
- The role of national legislation and the international copyright framework
- Strategies archivists can adopt to balance copyright protection with access
- The impact of emerging guidance and educational resources, including the new ICA course “Introduction to Copyright for Archivists”
This webinar aims to equip participants with insights and tools to better navigate copyright issues in their own institutions.
Speakers
Dr Jean Dryden
Dr Jean Dryden is an archival consultant and scholar based in Toronto, Canada, and a recognised expert on copyright in archival materials. She is a member of the ICA Expert Group on Legal Matters (EGLM) and represented ICA at WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights from 2015 to 2025. She is the author of Copyright Exceptions for Archives: A Checklist and the new ICA online course “Introduction to Copyright for Archivists”.
Avril Belfon
Avril Belfon recently retired as the Government Archivist at the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, where she served for just over fourteen years. She started her career in Libraries, having completed her Master's in Library and Information Studies at the University of Toronto in 2004. She then worked as a Librarian at the National Library, the Heritage Library and finally the Parliament Library before moving to the National Archives. She is a member of the Executive Council of CARBICA and has served as both Vice President and President. She brings extensive experience in government archives and regional cooperation in the Caribbean.
Dr Victoria Stobo
Dr Victoria Stobo is a Lecturer in Record-Keeping at the Liverpool University Centre for Archive Studies. She has worked across the GLAM sector since 2008 and completed a PhD in 2018 on the impact of UK copyright law on digitising archive collections. In 2025, she is serving as ICA’s representative at WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.
Moderator
Dr David Sutton
Dr David Sutton is a literary scholar and expert in international copyright. He is Director of Research Projects at Reading University Library and has served as President of the ICA’s Section for Literary Archives. He is Chair of the Group for Literary Archives and Manuscripts (GLAM) and UK editor of the WATCH copyright database, which supports researchers and institutions in identifying copyright holders for a broad range of creators.
![[ICA] IAW25 Banner x NDS-04](https://www.ica.org/app/uploads/2025/04/ICA-IAW25-Banner-x-NDS-04-330x0-c-default.webp)