Benson to share copyright expertise in new roles

Sara Benson
Sara Benson, Affiliate Associate Professor

Sara Benson (MSLIS '17), adjunct associate professor at the iSchool and copyright librarian and associate professor at the University Library, was recently named a senior policy fellow for the American Library Association's Public Policy and Advocacy Office and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) representative to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). 

Benson's role as fellow with the ALA's Public Policy and Advocacy Office will be to advise the association on federal copyright policy and digital licensing policy and advocacy. She will also be part of a team focused on crafting ALA's strategic direction on copyright and licensing.

"I am excited to work with the ALA to conduct research and engage in advocacy on the future of digital copyright for libraries and the public interest," she said.

The SCCR was created to examine significant legal issues concerning copyright and related rights on a global scale. The committee includes all WIPO member states (over 190 countries) and makes recommendations to the WIPO General Assembly or Diplomatic Conferences.

"I will be attending my first SCCR meeting this spring in Geneva, and I am excited to learn how to advocate for libraries at the international level through WIPO," Benson said of her new role.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Santos honored by Illinois State Comptroller

Professor and Dean Eunice E. Santos was named a 2024 Women's History Month Honoree by the Illinois Office of Comptroller. She was recognized at a ceremony hosted by Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza on March 21 in Springfield. At the Women's History Month celebration, Santos and three other women trailblazers were honored for their achievements and contributions to the community.

Eunice Santos

Book co-edited by Dahlen recognized by ChLA

A book edited by Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, associate professor in the University of Michigan's Marsal Family School of Education, has received the Children's Literature Association (ChLA) Edited Book Award. The annual award recognizes the contributions of an outstanding edited collection of essays to children's literature history, scholarship, and criticism. 

Sarah Park Dahlen

Campus-community partnership launches new maker-in-residence program

A new program co-led by the Champaign-Urbana Community (CUC) Fab Lab aims to bridge and enhance the creative capabilities of local maker communities. The Champaign County Community (CCC) Maker-in-Residence Program was recently awarded a $29,293 grant through the Campus-Community Compact to Accelerate Social Justice initiative in the Office of Public Engagement.

Cu Community Fab Lab

Knox named to IJIDI editorial board

Associate Professor Emily Knox has been invited to join the editorial board of The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion (IJIDI). The quarterly, open-access online journal is sponsored by East Carolina University and the University of Toronto and hosted on the servers of the University of Toronto Library.

Emily Knox