The Panitza Library at the American University in Bulgaria recently welcomed Fulbright Specialist Prof. Sara Benson from the University of Illinois, who visited AUBG from May 24 through June 6, 2026.
Prof. Benson is the Copyright Librarian and Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an affiliated associate professor with the Center for Global Studies, the European Union Center, and the School of Information Sciences. She currently serves as Head of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) delegation to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and is internationally recognized for her work in copyright law, scholarly communications, and information policy.
Her visit to Bulgaria was supported by AUBG and the Fulbright Specialist Program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. During her stay, Prof. Benson conducted research for a project examining how Bulgarian researchers and institutions use the text and data mining exceptions available under Bulgarian and European copyright law. The project seeks to better understand how these legal frameworks support digital scholarship and whether similar approaches could benefit researchers in other countries, including the United States.
As part of her visit, Prof. Benson engaged extensively with the AUBG community through a series of discussions and workshops. Among the highlights was a workshop held on campus that introduced librarians, staff and faculty to key issues in international copyright law, academic uses of copyrighted materials, fair use, and current developments surrounding text and data mining. The sessions provided practical guidance for educators and researchers while encouraging discussion on the legal and ethical dimensions of digital scholarship.
Beyond AUBG, Prof. Benson also contributed to the broader Bulgarian library community through her participation in the Аnnual conference of the Bulgarian Library and Information Association (BLIA) at Sofia University (June 4-5, 2026). There she shared international perspectives on copyright policy, library advocacy, and the role of libraries in supporting research, education, and cultural participation in the digital age.
The visit represents an important step in the growing collaboration between AUBG and the University of Illinois. It also lays the foundation for future initiatives in scholarly communications, digital humanities, and copyright education. Through the project, Panitza Library continues its efforts to strengthen support for research and digital scholarship while fostering international partnerships that benefit the university and the wider academic community in Bulgaria.
We extend our sincere thanks to Prof. Benson for her contributions, collegiality, and commitment to sharing her expertise. We look forward to continuing our collaboration in the years ahead.
