Twenty-plus years ago, when I first began teaching, writing, and speaking on copyright in K-12 education and school, public, and higher education libraries and technology centers, there would often be a student or presentation participant with a comment such as, “In education we can do what we want; after-all, we are teaching and that is fair use,” or “I’ll never get caught; how is anyone going to know if I violate copyright law anyway – no one is peeking over my shoulder!” Well, that may – or may not – be the case. Copyright can be a dense and ever-changing subject; each question and every format is best considered on its own, and bottom line, there are very few black and white answers.
Whether you wish for it or not, if you are a school librarian, chances are that you are considered a copyright expert in your school and/or district. Hopefully you have had a class, participated in training, read about, or attended conference presentations focusing on copyright in education. That said, with an evolving subject such as copyright, especially in the age of the Internet, there is always room for review and renewal.
The theme for the November/December 2016 issue of Knowledge Quest, “Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age,” centers on school librarians and what you may need to consider when faced with copyright questions, issues, and concerns. Welcome to the world of “it depends!”
About the Guest Editor
Rebecca P. Butler, PhD, is a retired distinguished teaching professor at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where she taught school librarianship, instructional technology, and copyright classes. Recent books she has written include Copyright for Academic Librarians and Professionals (ALA 2014) and School Libraries 3.0: Principles and Practices for the Digital Age (Rowman & Littlefield 2015). School Libraries 3.0 is the winner of the SLC/ARBA 2016 Best of Reference Award for Best Professional Guide for School or Youth Librarians.
Read her Guest Editor Column, “Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age.”
Knowledge Quest, Volume 45, No. 2 – Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age
Features
Copyright Basics and Review: Scenarios for the Practicing School Librarian
Rebecca P. Butler
Copyright Resources for School Librarians
Yvonne M. Johnson and Nicole M. Johnson
Copyright Updates for K-12 Librarians
Wendell G. Johnson
Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
Barbara Fiehn
Articles
From Mary Virginia Gaver to the CLASS Research Summit: A Journey toward Causality and Student Success
Rita R. Soulen
Reducing the Information Literacy Gap in High School Students: An Action Research Study
Heather McPherson and Margot Dube
When Stars Align: Teachers and Students Shine Brighter
Sheila F. Baker and Jana Willis
Column
CBC Column
Walt Disney, Easter Eggs, and Monsters: When Creativity and Copyright Combine
Wendy Grieb
Departments
President’s Column
Intellectual Property, Digital Literacy, and ESSA: An Opportunity to Lead
Audrey Church
Guest Editor Column
Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age
Rebecca P. Butler
AASL 2015-2016 New Members
Author: Rebecca Butler
Categories: KQ Content
This could not come at a more critical time. With the increased streaming of Amazon and Netflix in the classroom, the downloading of copyrighted design patterns for 3D printers, librarians are now forced to become even more vigilant. Copyright enforcement needs the backing of site administrators who often have no idea what the law is (or isn’t). Maybe seeing this in print, will help us to get the correct message to all parties!
Kate MacMillan, Thanks for the positive comment on the special theme. So glad you mentioned the design patterns for 3D printers. That is a big issue – don’t know why I didn’t think to include it in my article. Copyright awareness has to begin the first day of school for students beginning at Kindergarten, and for teachers it has to be a reminding and ongoing inclusion in the discussion with each new technology brought into a building/district.