Darcée Olson, copyright and scholarly communications policy director for LSU Libraries, has been named as a visiting program officer in The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Advocacy & Public Policy program from April 2021 through April 2022.

As visiting program officer, Olson will write a series of briefs on topics related to digital rights, including controlled digital lending, digitization, licensing reform, and contract preemption. These briefs will include a description of the current public policy landscape, and data and evidence from practitioners at member institutions. The briefs will also identify practical political opportunities for legislation or other forms of advocacy for ARL to advance.

At LSU Libraries, Olson works in areas of law and policy that impact digital services and digital access, including negotiating licenses, updating and revising a digital submissions agreement for the Louisiana Digital Libraries, and collaborating on an open access initiative sponsored by LSU’s Faculty Senate Library Committee. She also works with Interlibrary Loan staff to address the limitations of the CONTU guidelines with an effective copyright compliance policy. Previously, Olson worked in digital policy–focused environments during her studies at the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford, and later at the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

“Particularly over the past year, we’ve seen digital rights issues—including controlled digital lending, digital first sale, and licensing—become increasingly important to libraries worldwide. LSU Libraries is proud that Darcée will be advancing ARL’s work in these areas,” said LSU Libraries Dean Stanley Wilder.

Olson holds a BA in business and the humanities from Golden Gate University and a JD from Southwestern University Law School. She recently co-authored comments to the US Copyright Office on its State Sovereign Immunity Study, and participated in its roundtables on behalf of the library community.

The ARL Visiting Program Officer program provides opportunities for outstanding staff in ARL member libraries and archives to contribute to special projects and programs, either in whole or in part, in order to advance the agenda of the Association. Visit the ARL website for more information about the Visiting Program Officer program.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 125 research libraries in Canada and the US whose mission is to advance research, learning, and scholarly communication. The Association fosters the open exchange of ideas and expertise; advances diversity, equity, and inclusion; and pursues advocacy and public policy efforts that reflect the values of the library, scholarly, and higher education communities. ARL forges partnerships and catalyzes the collective efforts of research libraries to enable knowledge creation and to achieve enduring and barrier-free access to information. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.