Books & Articles to Consider
Copyright Basics
from The US Copyright Office
United States Copyright Office. (Revised May 2012). "Copyright basics." Retrieved 12/4/2012 from
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf.
More of a brochure or pamphlet than an article, this 12-page primer on all things US copyright law offers succinct, if not the most complete information. There are more detailed resources, but this is an excellent jumping off point, and features answers to frequently asked questions on topics ranging from what is and is not protected by copyright, to how long a copyright lasts, who can claim it, and how to secure a formal copyright from the US Copyright Office. This pamphlet is free to download from the US Copyright Office website.
Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic & Research Libraries
Association of Research Libraries
Association of Research Libraries (January 2012). "Code of best practices in fair use for academic and research libraries". Retrieved 12/4/2012 from
http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/code-of-best-practices-fair-use.pdf.
Also freely available, this time from the ARL (in coordination with American University's Center for Social Media and Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property), this document was published in order to assist librarians in their roles as educators. Fair use is an important, though highly general right essential to the operations of libraries of all types. In these 34 pages, the authors have documented the views of the library community regarding best practices n fair use, and describes eight different common scenarios in which fair use comes into play in the library, and how copyright law and fair use apply in those situations. These discussions are fairly in-depth, and the situations they cover are as follows:
Copyright Law for Librarians & Educators
Kenneth D. Crews
Previous editions of this book were hailed as extremely useful overall handbooks for understanding and working with copyright issues that are critically important in the fields of education and librarianship. The new edition is no exception. It is well-indexed, and makes the more specific subject areas under copyright easy to find. In this updated edition, it addresses both the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and Technology, Education, & Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act, as well as other recent copyright issues and cases. Compared to the complexity of its subject matter, the text is relatively simple and straightforward, and, at only 200 pages, it is not overly tedious, as more legal jargon-filled texts on the subject can be.
Crewes, K. D. (2012). Copyright law for librarians and educators (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
Complete Copyright for K-12 Librarians & Educators
Carrie Russell
If you're looking for a copyright handbook tailored to K-12 school librarians, look no further. Some of the specific challenges facing this particular group of librarians and educators with regard to copyright are under-served in the more general guides, and this book is designed to fill that gap. Among other things, Russell provides a distinct definition for the terms of fair use, which can be slippery, particularly in the school environment. This guide also describes and offers solutions to typical school environment scenarios involving copyright that educators may encounter. If this resource is of particular interest, it would also be worth following up on the webinar ALA hosted with the author on December 4, 2012, as there may be a recording, or future webinars available.
Russell, C. (2012). Complete copyright for K-12 librarians and educators. ALA Editions.
Copyright for Teachers and Librarians in the 21st Century
Rebecca P. Butler
Similar in purpose to Russell, Rebecca P. Butler seeks to address the copyright issues facing librarians and educators today in a manner that is both thorough and easily understood. The scope of this book is broader, but specific scenarios are addressed through creative flowcharts, which Butler uses to illustrate processes and problems like "How to Decide Whether an Image is in the Public Domain" and "Using Personal DVDs on a School Outing."
The author's approach to the issue begins on the surface, and delves deeper into the applications and obstacles surrounding copyright law the further into the 275-page volume you go. As the title implies, this book is an excellent resource for helping educators to navigate the complexities of copyright in an increasingly digital world. While Russell's book is designed to give the reader a holistic understanding of the slippery areas of copyright law as they apply to the target audience, Butler's does that and then some, and is a better handy guide to keep around to refer back to again and again.
Butler, R.P. (2011). Copyright for teachers and librarians in the 21st century. Neal-Schuman.
Copyright for Librarians: The Essential Handbook
The Berkman Center for Internet and Society
This book is very new, and was written as a companion piece/alternate media for the Berkman Center's Open Access online course covered in the web resources in this guide. Similar to its digital counterpart, it is geared toward addressing issues surrounding copyright for librarians in developing countries. Reviews are forthcoming, since this book was released less than a month ago, but based on the utility of the content found in the Copyright for Librarians online course, this accompanying volume should also prove a source of good information.
The Berkman Center for Internet and Society. (2012). Copyright for librarians: the essential handbook. Electronic Information for Libraries.
from The US Copyright Office
United States Copyright Office. (Revised May 2012). "Copyright basics." Retrieved 12/4/2012 from
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf.
More of a brochure or pamphlet than an article, this 12-page primer on all things US copyright law offers succinct, if not the most complete information. There are more detailed resources, but this is an excellent jumping off point, and features answers to frequently asked questions on topics ranging from what is and is not protected by copyright, to how long a copyright lasts, who can claim it, and how to secure a formal copyright from the US Copyright Office. This pamphlet is free to download from the US Copyright Office website.
Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic & Research Libraries
Association of Research Libraries
Association of Research Libraries (January 2012). "Code of best practices in fair use for academic and research libraries". Retrieved 12/4/2012 from
http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/code-of-best-practices-fair-use.pdf.
Also freely available, this time from the ARL (in coordination with American University's Center for Social Media and Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property), this document was published in order to assist librarians in their roles as educators. Fair use is an important, though highly general right essential to the operations of libraries of all types. In these 34 pages, the authors have documented the views of the library community regarding best practices n fair use, and describes eight different common scenarios in which fair use comes into play in the library, and how copyright law and fair use apply in those situations. These discussions are fairly in-depth, and the situations they cover are as follows:
- Supporting teaching and learning with access to library materials via digital technologies.
- Using selections from collection materials to publicize a library's activities, or to create physical and virtual exhibitions.
- Digitizing to preserve at-risk items.
- Creating digital collections of archival and special collections materials.
- Reproducing material for use by disabled students, faculty, staff, and other appropriate users.
- Maintaining the integrity of works deposited in institutional repositories.
- Creating databases to facilitate non consumptive research uses (including search).
- Collecting material posted on the World Wide Web and making it available.
Copyright Law for Librarians & Educators
Kenneth D. Crews
Previous editions of this book were hailed as extremely useful overall handbooks for understanding and working with copyright issues that are critically important in the fields of education and librarianship. The new edition is no exception. It is well-indexed, and makes the more specific subject areas under copyright easy to find. In this updated edition, it addresses both the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and Technology, Education, & Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act, as well as other recent copyright issues and cases. Compared to the complexity of its subject matter, the text is relatively simple and straightforward, and, at only 200 pages, it is not overly tedious, as more legal jargon-filled texts on the subject can be.
Crewes, K. D. (2012). Copyright law for librarians and educators (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
Complete Copyright for K-12 Librarians & Educators
Carrie Russell
If you're looking for a copyright handbook tailored to K-12 school librarians, look no further. Some of the specific challenges facing this particular group of librarians and educators with regard to copyright are under-served in the more general guides, and this book is designed to fill that gap. Among other things, Russell provides a distinct definition for the terms of fair use, which can be slippery, particularly in the school environment. This guide also describes and offers solutions to typical school environment scenarios involving copyright that educators may encounter. If this resource is of particular interest, it would also be worth following up on the webinar ALA hosted with the author on December 4, 2012, as there may be a recording, or future webinars available.
Russell, C. (2012). Complete copyright for K-12 librarians and educators. ALA Editions.
Copyright for Teachers and Librarians in the 21st Century
Rebecca P. Butler
Similar in purpose to Russell, Rebecca P. Butler seeks to address the copyright issues facing librarians and educators today in a manner that is both thorough and easily understood. The scope of this book is broader, but specific scenarios are addressed through creative flowcharts, which Butler uses to illustrate processes and problems like "How to Decide Whether an Image is in the Public Domain" and "Using Personal DVDs on a School Outing."
The author's approach to the issue begins on the surface, and delves deeper into the applications and obstacles surrounding copyright law the further into the 275-page volume you go. As the title implies, this book is an excellent resource for helping educators to navigate the complexities of copyright in an increasingly digital world. While Russell's book is designed to give the reader a holistic understanding of the slippery areas of copyright law as they apply to the target audience, Butler's does that and then some, and is a better handy guide to keep around to refer back to again and again.
Butler, R.P. (2011). Copyright for teachers and librarians in the 21st century. Neal-Schuman.
Copyright for Librarians: The Essential Handbook
The Berkman Center for Internet and Society
This book is very new, and was written as a companion piece/alternate media for the Berkman Center's Open Access online course covered in the web resources in this guide. Similar to its digital counterpart, it is geared toward addressing issues surrounding copyright for librarians in developing countries. Reviews are forthcoming, since this book was released less than a month ago, but based on the utility of the content found in the Copyright for Librarians online course, this accompanying volume should also prove a source of good information.
The Berkman Center for Internet and Society. (2012). Copyright for librarians: the essential handbook. Electronic Information for Libraries.