This paper briefly outlines what copyright is, the main actors in the copyright phenomenon, and the need to maintain a balance among them. The paper further discusses the difficulty in upholding copyright in relation to access to information in the University of Ghana, problems associated with the use of digital materials, the inadequacy of the permitted use principle, and the failure of copyright legislation to address the needs of the library and other groups or institutions.

Intellectual access to archival sources in the National Archives of Ghana in recent times has been the focus of many prominent historians and academics both local and foreign. Many researchers (Gareth Austin, 1986; Adam Jones, 1987) have documented the inadequacy of search tools, the lack of physical control, and the deteriorating valuable sources in this Archive which was one of the pioneering institutions in Africa. Out of desperation some have even prepared summary guides to some of the holdings they have used or are familiar with (Gareth Austin, 1986)

Though the archival tradition in Ghana spans a period of five decades, there is no comprehensive guide to the total holdings of the Archives. This inadequacy has for a long time eclipsed the real value of the contents of the Archives.

The potential of private papers as primary sources for research cannot be overemphasised. Unlike other archives, private papers can give researchers closer contact with their subjects since such papers frequently reflect natural human prejudices and emotions.

The National Archives of Ghana (NAG), in accordance with article 5 of the Public Archives Ordinance No. 35 of 1955 in realising the immense value of private papers instituted a special programme in 1961 to systematically acquire and process papers relating to the Ghanaian president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah from all over the world. This laudable effort succeeded in enriching the stock of the Archives with Nkrumah's papers acquired from both the USA and Britain. In addition to papers there are his books and other documentary materials, which constitute his entire personal library during the period of his studies abroad.