Copyright questions can be tricky. While the U.S. Copyright Office offers a lot of information online about the laws and guidelines governing this, understanding those laws and guidelines can still be confusing.
The Copyright Office’s Circular 21 (linked below) offers a synopsis of the laws and guidelines. However, keep in mind that these guidelines for educational fair use are just that: Guidelines. They can change. They are open to interpretation. They should not be used as hard and fast rules.
If you have questions or concerns, I am here to help. Please come talk to me, and I will try to answer your questions. I rely on information from reliable university resources and from the American Library Association.
I recommend this site as a good place to go for some basic information and guidance: University of Minnesota Libraries. It is thorough, understandable, and current.
If you’d like to strike out on your own, here are some resources:
In Copyright Circular 21: Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians
p.8 – Guidelines for Classroom Copying
p.9 – Guidelines for Educational Uses of Music
p.22 – Guidelines for Off-Air Recording of Broadcast Programming for Educational Purposes
Students may find the following sites helpful:
Creative Commons – Part 1: Get Creative (Flash movie)
Creative Commons – Part 2: Reticulum Rex (Flash movie)
Google Image Search: Go to the Google Image search and select Tools. Then choose Usage Rights. Select Labeled for noncommercial use (images from Creative Commons and other public sharing sites).
As always, the library and the librarian are available to help.
Melanie M. Gibson, Librarian
mgibson@bdcs.org