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ERIC Number: EJ1438856
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1094-9046
EISSN: N/A
Relax, It's Just Copyright Tips and Tricks to Help Librarians Navigate Copyright
Brittany Fleming
Knowledge Quest, v52 n3 p26-31 2024
According to the author, we are all creators and consumers of media. Technology has made it easy to copy, paste, and transfer anything educators might want to use in their classrooms. As educators, school librarians have an obligation to honor the law and be the role models that learners and other staff members need them to be. So many times the author has heard "Fair use covers me," or "Because I'm a teacher, I'm fine." The author states they were once guilty of this themselves. If educators expect learners to respect and follow copyright rules, they must follow them as well. In most states, the library media specialist degree is one of the only graduate degrees that requires a class on copyright and intellectual property. The author states it is vital to be transparent about one's qualifications and to make it clear that any information provided is based on personal understanding and experiences, rather than professional legal advice. Fair use is a wonderful thing, however it does not provide carte blanche to everything in education. According to the author, this is probably the biggest misconception among educators. Fair use has a four-factor test that one can use in determining if a copyrighted work can be used without permission. These factors are applied on a case-by-case basis, and fair use determinations can vary depending on the specific circumstances of each use. This is a great tool to teach both learners and staff. Fair use is a flexible and context-dependent doctrine. There is no fixed percentage or word count that can be universally considered fair use in all situations. Most of the time, as the author states, we think of copyright as being a standard school librarians teach learners. It is, but if librarians also lead by partnering and supporting classroom teachers, school librarians could build a stronger knowledge of copyright with learners. Librarians should be seen as a resource for both learners and staff. School librarians may not always be able to provide professional development, so be creative on how to send out information. Advocating for copyright does not mean school librarians need to be an expert, but it is essential to promote a fair and balanced approach that respects both creators and consumers.
American Association of School Librarians. Available from: American Library Association. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 1-800-545-2433; Web site: http://knowledgequest.aasl.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A