I want you know that I will be teaching an online course on U.S. Copyright Law in the Library this August. I’ll cover the basics of U.S. copyright law, including how it informs what libraries, staff, and patrons can do with their materials, as well as how to stay up-to-date as copyright law evolves.

This online course will start on August 3 and run for 6 weeks. You can find more information and register at the ALA Store. Bulk and institutional pricing is available. If you have any questions, you can contact me or the folks at ALA Publishing at elsmarketing@ala.org.

This spring, when schools asked students to continue their education at home and libraries shifted from in-person to totally online services, many people realized that copyright knowledge was important. This six-week course will help you develop copyright knowledge so you can productively engage in the conversations occurring in your institution, as it continues to work through how it wants to deliver services in our changed world.

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In this blog post from the Smithsonian Institution Archives, Emily Niekrasz gives Marguerite Roby (Photo Archivist), Jessica Scott (Digital Imaging Technician), Kira Sobers (Digital Media Coordinator), and Heidi Stover (Reference Photo Archivist) an opportunity to explain "just how much work goes into the digitization process."  The four answer questions including:

What are the key steps in the journey of a single reference request from staff or a researcher to a digital asset appearing on our website?

and:

How hard is researching the rights and reproduction limits of a photograph or record?

At the end of the article are related resources from the Smithsonian.

With our increased reliance on digital resources, this is indeed a good time to remember the importance of digitization! Thank you, Smithsonian!

The National Writers Union (NWU) is presenting an informational webinar on the Internet Archives book scanning operation  on May 5 (Tuesday) at 10:00 a.m. ET.  Registration information is available on the NWU website.

The NWU says:

We've been getting questions about what the Internet Archive is actually doing with the millions of books it has been scanning.

Unfortunately, "Controlled Digital Lending" (CDL) and the new "National Emergency Library" (NEL) are only the tip of the iceberg. The Internet Archive distributes copies of each book it scans in *five* different ways.

The confusion is understandable, given that what the Internet Archive is doing doesn't match what it says it does as CDL or the NEL.

They have also posted an explainer on their website, regarding what is happening. Slides from their April 27 informational webinar are also available.

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One of the questions asked during the April 17 copyright webinar was on creating a copyright policy for an institution or library.   This is an assignment in my copyright class (IST 735: Copyright for Information Professionals).  I want to use that assignment as a way of talking with you about creating a policy.

First, consider why you want to create a policy and who - or what - is the policy for.  Every policy is going to be specific to the organization that created it. Each will be different. Knowing the reason for creating the policy will be important.

After you have done that, you might consider if you want to create a policy or perhaps an FAQ.  A policy can require time to develop and may need to go through an approval process. It could be that in your situation that an FAQ would suit your needs.  In other words, you need to create what is best for your institution and situation. (What is below may help you in thinking about that FAQ.)

Knowing that every policy is different, I have my students create a policy in a specific format, which makes them consider a number of different things and situate the policy in the activities of a specific library.  They must include the sections below, but they also know that a library or institution could create a policy with a different format and with different sections.

In other words, what is below is for an assignment. The sections you might put into your policy will likely be different.

Section of the Policy

• Name and location of the library.
• Mission of the library. The policy should relate - implicitly or explicitly - to this mission. 
• Purpose of the policy.  In other words, why is this policy being put in place?
• An overview of the relevant sections of copyright law, which affect this library. Include URLs/links to the documents or sections to which you refer.  This is good background information, because many people do not know copyright law and might use this to learn more.  It also demonstrates that your policy is grounded in the law.
• What general rules does the library use in order to comply with the law and with any licenses?
  • Consider if there are general rules for staff, as well as general rules which might exist for users/patrons.
  • Consider if there are general rules for specific activities that are engaged in inside the library or through its online portals.
• What specific are used by staff when copying material for (whichever of the following are applicable): 
• For a patron’s personal use 
• For delivery of teaching and learning (in classroom or distance learning) 
• For research purposes 
• For library internal purposes 
• For people with disabilities
• Advice – for users and staff – on seeking copyright clearance 
• A disclaimer
• Who to contact about copyright matters. This could be a person's title, rather than a name.
• An FAQ (frequently asked questions). 
• Other sections at your discretion

I imagine that you're looking at that and thinking that it is longer than you want. Copyright policies do come in a variety of different lengths, depending on the need and the organization.  In real life, you do what fits you. Again, what is above is for an assignment.

Any policy - or FAQ, if you go that route - should be reviewed by the library director and anybody else who has fiduciary responsibility.  In some organizations, the attorney or legal department may need to review new policies.  Take those as opportunities to assure that everyone understands what you have written.

Once approved, please put your policy on your website and then review it for revisions on a regular basis. For example, some libraries review their policies every three years and make any changes that are warranted.

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On April 17, American Libraries Live hosted a webinar on "Libraries and COVID-19:  Considering Copyright during a Crisis, part 2." Details are in this blog post. The 60-minute recording is now available for anyone to view. Resources shared in chat, during the webinar, are available in this document. The slides used during the webinar are also available.

Links to the recording, etc., from part 1 are in this blog post.

Thank you to the 1700+ people who participated in these and for prompting the discussion. Thank you to Lesley Ellen Harris and Kenneth Crews for their wisdom.  It was awesome being on the panel with you!

Readings for this class lecture

• David R. Hansen & Kyle K. Courtney. (2018)  Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books.
• Lila Bailey, et al. (2018)  Position Statement on Controlled Digital Lending.
• David R. Hansen & Kyle K. Courtney. (2018)  A White Paper on Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books.
• Matt Enis. (2018) Controlled Digital Lending Concept Gains Ground.
• Internet Archive releases the National Emergency Library.

 

Quotes from FAQ for the National Emergency Library

• Our digital library is free to read for anyone with an internet connection, anywhere in the world.
• The library will have suspended waitlists through June 30, 2020, or the end of the US national emergency, whichever is later.  
• According to UNESCO,  the COVID-19 crisis has shuttered the classrooms for one-in-five  students worldwide, plus an additional one-in-four from higher education  classes. And that number is growing, quickly approaching 1 billion students physically cut off from classrooms, teachers and libraries.Our focus is providing online access to older books that don’t have an ebook.
• Readers who borrow a book from the National Emergency Library get it for only two weeks, and their access is disabled unless they check it out again. Internet Archive also uses the same technical protections that publishers use on their ebook offerings in order to prevent additional copies from being made or redistributed.
• The Internet Archive has partnered with ISKME and an expert group of educators and school librarians to develop the Universal School Library, a curated list of 2,300 books organized by reading level and grade. 

And also from the Internet Archive FAQ: Is this controlled digital lending?

No. It is close to controlled digital lending but is significantly different while waitlists are suspended. This library is being mobilized in response to a global pandemic and US national emergency. It shares aspects of controlled digital lending by controlling the physical book that was scanned and the redistribution of files through digital rights management software, but differs by having no waitlists for users borrowing books.  Once the US national emergency is over and waitlists are back to their normal capacity, the service will return to full controlled digital lending. 

 

So what is Controlled Digital Lending? (from the CDL website)

• …a method by which libraries loan print books to digital patrons in a “lend like print” fashion similar to how non-digital patrons check out books in-person. Through CDL, libraries use technical controls to ensure a consistent “owned-to-loaned” ratio, meaning the library circulates the exact number of copies of a specific title it owns, regardless of format, putting controls in place to prevent users from redistributing or copying the digitized version.
• CDL isn’t itself a silver bullet for mass digital access to books. It’s not meant to be a competitor to Overdrive, nor a replacement for licensing e-books of best-sellers or other currently licensable e-book content. But we think CDL does deserve significant attention as a legal strategy, particularly to help address access to the large number of books published in the “20th Century black hole” that have little hope of otherwise bring made available to readers online.

 

What does owned to loaned ratio really mean?

For example, if a library owns three copies of a title and digitizes one copy, it may use CDL to circulate one digital copy and two print, or three digital copies, or two digital copies and one print; in all cases, it could only circulate the same number of copies that it owned before digitization.

Then the CDL websites discusses:

• The Principle of Exhaustion and the Fair Use Doctrine 
• First Sale and the Common Law Exhaustion Principle

 

First Sale and the Common Law Exhaustion Principle

This legal set of rules mandates that any time there is an authorized transfer of a copy of a copyrighted work, the rights holder’s power to control the use and distribution of that copy is terminated or ‘exhausted.’ Exhaustion allows the owner of a particular copy of a work to sell, lend, or give away that copy without payment to or permission from the rights holder. Among other important benefits, exhaustion ensures that after copyright holders price and control the initial distribution of their works, secondary outlets (such as libraries) and markets (such as used bookstores) can expand the affordability, preservation, and availability of works. Library CDL approaches that track the principle of exhaustion are thus much more likely to fall within its protections.

 

Fair Use

Other socially beneficial purposes, such as increasing public access to works, may also qualify for fair use. Library CDL approaches that are designed for socially beneficial purposes are much more likely to fall within the protections of fair use.

The CDL website provides information on how the four factors might be applied.  I've summarized them in this table, but there is a MUCH longer - and important - explanation on the website.

In order to properly position CDL within the analysis above, proponents say that libraries should:

1. ensure that original works are acquired lawfully;
2. apply CDL only to works that are owned and not licensed;
3. limit the total number of copies in any format in circulation at any time to the number of physical copies the library lawfully owns (maintain an “owned to loaned” ratio);
4. lend each digital version only to a single user at a time just as a physical copy would be loaned;
5. limit the time period for each lend to one that is analogous to physical lending; and
6. use digital rights management to prevent copying and redistribution.

 

Finally, Kyle Courtney in Controlled Digital Lending Concept Gains Ground said:

This is how things start. You put out a position statement, you back it up with a white paper, and you see the conversations that happen.

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Criticisms

There are many articles critical of the National Emergency Library, including:

• Dwyer, Colin. (4/1/2020) Authors, Publishers Condemn The 'National Emergency Library' As 'Piracy'.  NPR.
• Hampton, Rachelle. (4/1/2020) The Internet Archive Started an “Emergency” Online Library. Authors Are Furious. Slate.
• Machemer, Theresa. (4/1/2020)  Why the National Emergency Library Is So Controversial. Smithsonian Magazine.

My Thoughts

The details of this matter, which is why I have encouraged you to read the quotes and other information.  The Internet Archive has laid out and documented a plan, including how they are relying on Fair Use.  Notice that they have not thrown the doors open on all of their content, but have constructed a specific library for a specific population under specific circumstances.

The Internet Archive is exercising Fair Use. We know that we should exercise Fair Use and push on what we perceive the boundaries are. If we don't use Fair Use, then we may lose it. Not using Fair Use could cause its boundaries to shrink.  It is when we push on Fair Use that we are able to get people to consider what is possible, and positive changes can happen.  Think of the pushing on Fair Use which Google has done (e.g., Google Book Search, Perfect 10 v. Google).  Think of the work that HathiTrust has done.  Yes, there was push back. Yes, there was some re-thinking. And while it took years, there came a time when how we thought about that activity changed and we saw it as normal.

It is too early to know the final disposition of this National Emergency Library will be.  It is unlikely, during this national emergency, that authors and publishers will make a formal move against it. That could be seen as bad public relations. Therefore, let's wait to see what happens after the emergency has ended. What do the authors and publishers say (and do) then?

If this national emergency extends longer than we all hope, I would be interested in seeing what the Internet Archive does then.  Does it continue with the National Emergency Library as it is now? And what about the authors and publishers? Will they raise legal challenges?

Remember that the final arbiter in determining if a use is legal is a court.

Finally, I hope this is an opportunity for more people to really learn about Fair Use, which means reading the law, reading commentary and articles on the law, and practicing using the four factors.  I also hope that more librarians will learn about Controlled Digital Lending, by reading what has been published about it. This could be something that more libraries would like to implement, if they understood what it was.

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Addendum (4/20 afternoon):

These resources were forwarded to me and they are from the National Writers Union.

• What is the Internet Archive doing with our books? (April 16, 2020)
• Appeal from the victims of Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) (Feb. 2019)
• FAQ on Controlled Digital Lending (CDL)

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Addendum (June 12):

Kahle, Brewster. (June 10, 2020) Temporary National Emergency Library to close 2 weeks early, returning to traditional controlled digital lending.

Today we are announcing the National Emergency Library will close on June 16th, rather than June 30th, returning to traditional controlled digital lending. We have learned that the vast majority of people use digitized books on the Internet Archive for a very short time. Even with the closure of the NEL, we will be able to serve most patrons through controlled digital lending, in part because of the good work of the non-profit HathiTrust Digital Library. HathiTrust’s new Emergency Temporary Access Service features a short-term access model that we plan to follow.

We moved up our schedule because, last Monday, four commercial publishers chose to sue Internet Archive during a global pandemic.  However, this lawsuit is not just about the temporary National Emergency Library. The complaint attacks the concept of any library owning and lending digital books, challenging the very idea of what a library is in the digital world. This lawsuit stands in contrast to some academic publishers who initially expressed concerns about the NEL, but ultimately decided to work with us to provide access to people cut off from their physical schools and libraries. We hope that similar cooperation is possible here, and the publishers call off their costly assault.

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Subscribe to Digitization 101 through Feedblitz

Yes, after a successful webinar on April 3, we were asked to do it again!  Part 2 will be held on April 17, 12 noon ET (one hour).  The first 1500 people will be able to register (free), with the live event limited to the first 1000.  The April 3 event had over 900 people, so this is clearly a needed topic.

Yes, the recording will be available afterwards.

Details from AL Live:

On April 3, we addressed several copyright issues on AL Live. We received so many audience questions and comments that our expert panel is back for a second session, where we’ll continue the discussion of how libraries can address these challenges. We’ll also share practical tips and information about which digital content providers have loosened restrictions on their materials during this pandemic.

Panelists include:

• Lesley Ellen Harris, CEO of Copyrightlaws.com
• Jill Hurst-Wahl, associate professor of practice, Syracuse University School of Information Studies, and president of Hurst Associates Ltd.
• Kenneth D. Crews, attorney, Gipson Hoffman & Pancione, and international copyright consultant

On April 3, American Libraries Live hosted a webinar on " Libraries and COVID-19:  Considering Copyright during a Crisis." Details are in this blog post. The 60-minute recording is now available for anyone to view. Resources shared in chat, during the webinar, are available in this document.

See below.  I'm honored to be part of this AL Live event with Lesley Ellen Harris and Kenneth Crews.

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Registration for this event is limited. Please see below for more information.*

With most physical libraries around the country forced to close their doors, digital materials are more important than ever. The copyright issues involved with these materials can be difficult enough to process under normal circumstances; now they can seem even more overwhelming. Please join our expert panel as we discuss how libraries can address these challenges. We’ll also share practical tips and information about which digital content providers have loosened restrictions on their materials during this pandemic.

Our panel includes:

• Lesley Ellen Harris, JD, is CEO of Copyrightlaws.com. Harris is a copyright consultant, published author, copyright blogger, and educator. She is an expert in navigating current copyright issues. Her areas of concentration include US and Canadian copyright law, international copyright law, and licensing digital content.


• Jill Hurst-Wahl is a consultant, speaker, writer, and educator. She is associate professor of practice in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and president of Hurst Associates, Ltd. A former corporate librarian, Hurst-Wahl has been an advocate for increasing the impact of libraries, no matter the type of community or organization they serve. She is a member of the USNY Technology Policy and Practices Council and the Onondaga County (N.Y.) Public Library board of trustees. Her focus includes copyright, the use of social media, and the future of the profession.


• Kenneth D. Crews is an attorney, author, professor, and international copyright consultant. He has been a consultant to businesses, universities, and governments in many countries in all parts of the world and has received two national awards for his leadership on copyright issues. Crews’s practice centers on copyright, trademark, branding, and intellectual property law for diverse business, entertainment, and nonprofit clients. Crews works closely with clients regarding the complexities of their use and ownership of intellectual property, the strategic management of IP assets, and development programs of licenses, contracts, and policy positions. Clients include software developers, film producers, major research universities, independent authors, and publishers of books, journals, and multimedia products. Building on his academic background and diverse experiences, he has served as an expert witness in copyright litigation involving art, software, fashion design, and fair use at research universities.

*NOTE: Due to high demand, we are accepting up to 1,500 registrations for this event. Based on capacity, however, only the first 1,000 viewers to join the event will be able to attend live. We will be recording this event and will post the archive information to the American Libraries Live website as soon as it is available. We thank you for your patience. If you are unable to register, the archive information will be posted to https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al-live/.

The announcement from the Internet Archive got lost in the other news I'm receiving, but perhaps you had seen it.  The Internet Archive said:

To address our unprecedented global and immediate need for access to reading and research materials, as of today, March 24, 2020, the Internet Archive will suspend waitlists for the 1.4 million (and growing) books in our lending library by creating a National Emergency Library to serve the nation’s displaced learners. This suspension will run through June 30, 2020, or the end of the US national emergency, whichever is later.

Although this archive uses the word "national," it is available to everyone around the world.

Okay...so I missed that announcement, but then articles like these caught my attention:

• ‘Emergency’ Online Library Draws Ire of Some Authors (New York Times)
• Internet Archive accused of using Covid-19 as 'an excuse for piracy' (the Guardian)
• Authors, Publishers Condemn The 'National Emergency Library' As 'Piracy' (NPR)

The Internet Archive responded with "Internet Archive responds: Why we released the National Emergency Library." This has an FAQ and includes information on controlled digital lending (CDL), which they use.  The FAQ is an informative read, including information on the age of the books, the quality of the images, and more. And, yes, the National Emergency Library will sunset, once the emergency is over or on June 30, 2020, whichever is later.

While controlled digital lending is not new, this is likely the first time so many news outlets and people have taken note of it or been impacted by it! (Congratulations!)

I'm glad to see many people - not just the Internet Archive - release content during this period, when people are being asked to stay home. The music, the films, the books, etc. are helping us all survive social distancing and stay at home orders.  Some of the content releases have been bold, like the Internet Archive, while others have been low risk, like unlocking subscription content.  With all of content, I think the "couch potatoes" will get through the pandemic and be a little smarter when it's all over.

Samuel Trosow and Lisa Macklem have written "Fair-Dealing and Emergency Remote Teaching in Canada." Published on March 21, 2020, this is information that may help Canadian educators.  Part of the introduction states:

This article explains how copyright law applies to online course materials. We hope it will assist instructors, librarians, teaching assistants, students and administrators working in Canadian colleges and universities.

We agree with the conclusions reached by a group of U.S. copyright experts in the Public Statement of Library Copyright Specialists: Fair Use & Emergency Remote Teaching and Research. They found that copyright law is “well equipped to provide the flexibility necessary for the vast majority of remote learning needed at this time.” We believe their primary conclusion about the applicability of fair-use also applies to its Canadian counterpart, fair-dealing.

First, we will outline the differences and similarities between Canadian fair-dealing and U.S. fair-use. We will then apply the fair-dealing requirements to the current circumstances. In closing, we make suggestions for minimizing risk and offer some ideas that should be considered in the longer-term.

In these extraordinary times, I'm glad to see people providing useful advice so quickly.

The introduction to this document states:

This Statement is meant to provide clarity for U.S. colleges and universities about how copyright law applies to the many facets of remote teaching and research in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. We write this as copyright specialists at colleges, universities, and other organizations supporting higher education in the U.S. and Canada who work every day with faculty, staff, and librarians to enable them to make ethical and legal choices about copyright issues in online teaching.  

The United States is in a time of crisis. As of this writing, more than 200 universities and colleges have moved to remote teaching. These moves aim to promote public health by slowing the spread of the disease, while maintaining at least some of the important functions higher education plays in teaching, learning, and research. We have heard concerns that copyright may pose impediments to a rapid shift to remote instruction, or conversely, that copyright is not relevant. While legal obligations do not automatically dissolve in the face of a public health crisis, U.S. copyright law is, thankfully, well equipped to provide the flexibility necessary for the vast majority of remote learning needed at this time.

This just came across in my email and worth us paying attention to. Do you have a comment on this? Then submit it!

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Librarian of Congress Seeks Input on Register of Copyrights

Press Contact: William Ryan (202) 707-0020

The public will have the opportunity to provide input to the Library of Congress on expertise needed by the next Register of Copyrights, the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, announced today.

Beginning today, March 2, a form to solicit this feedback is online and open to the public. The form will be posted through Friday, March 20.

• Public input form: https://www.loc.gov/about/librarian-of-congress-seeks-input-on-register-of-copyrights/
• Deadline for submitting comments: Friday, March 20, 2020

The Library of Congress will review all input and use it to help develop the knowledge, skills and abilities requirements for our announcement to fill the Register of Copyrights position.
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services, and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov, and register and record creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

###

PR 20-017
2020-03-02
ISSN 0731-3527

The fourth edition of Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions by Kenneth Crews is now available from ALA.  This has been several years in the making, with the delay allowing Crews to include information on the two changes to copyright law which occurred in 2018. (Sometimes a delay is a good thing!) Crews reported that he made updates throughout the book.  The geek in me is looking to reading it! 

Note that the ALA website does have a sample of the book which can be downloaded.

The table of contents is:

Part I: The Reach of Copyright
Chapter 1: The Copyright Map: Changing Needs and Copyright Solutions
Chapter 2: Sources of Copyright Law: Constitution, Statutes, and Courts
Chapter 3: Sources of Copyright Law: International Treaties, Trade, and Harmonization
Chapter 4: The Scope of Protectable Works
Chapter 5: Works without Copyright Protection

Part II: Rights of Ownership
Chapter 6: Duration and Formalities: How Long Do Copyrights Last?
Chapter 7: Who Owns the Copyright?
Chapter 8: The Rights of Copyright Owners
Chapter 9: Exceptions to the Rights of Owners

Part III: Fair Use
Chapter 10: Fair Use: Getting Started
Chapter 11: Fair Use: Understanding the Four Factors
Chapter 12: Getting Comfortable with Fair Use: Applying the Four Factors
Chapter 13: The Meaning of Fair Use Guidelines
Chapter 14: Education, Fair Use, and the Georgia State Case

Part IV: Focus on Education and Libraries
Chapter 15: Distance Education and the Principles of Copyright
Chapter 16: Distance Education and the TEACH Act
Chapter 17: Libraries, Archives, and the Special Provisions of Section 108
Chapter 18: Responsibility, Liability, and Doing the Right Thing

Part V: Special Features
Chapter 19: Music and Copyright
Chapter 20: The Peculiar Law of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
Chapter 21: Copyright, Archives, and Unpublished Materials
Chapter 22: Anticircumvention and Digital Rights Management
Chapter 23: Copyright and the World: Foreign Law and Foreign Works
Chapter 24: Permission, Licensing, and Open Access

Appendixes

• Appendix A    Selected Provisions from the U.S. Copyright Act
• Appendix B    Copyright Checklist: Fair Use
• Appendix C     Copyright Checklist: The TEACH Act and Distance Education
• Appendix D    Copyright Checklist for Libraries: Copies for Preservation or Replacement
• Appendix E    Copyright Checklist for Libraries: Copies for Private Study
• Appendix F    Model Letter for Permission Requests

This edition is not yet available through Amazon, but I expect that it will be.

At the 2019 ALA Annual Conference, I learned about the Controlled Digital Lending Program, which 37 libraries have implemented thus far.  On January 30, the Board of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) endorsed the position statement on this program.  What is controlled digital lending? Their press release says:

Originating conceptually from the copyright community and pioneered by the Internet Archive through their Open Libraries program, Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) allows libraries to digitize older in-copyright print books. In this ‘lend like print’ model, participating libraries choose to circulate either the print or the digital copy of a title. The model supports libraries in making 20^th century materials available digitally while respecting copyright laws. The Internet Archive has been circulating a collection of over one million books using this model since 2008.

The press release contains more information and I've placed a resource list below.  If you are interested in digitally circulating your older in-copyright print books, I encourage to you look into this.

Resources

• Controlled Digital Lending by Libraries (website)
• A White Paper on Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books (2018)
• Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books (2018)
• Controlled Digital Lending Concept Gains Ground (2018)
• DPLAfest 2019: Session highlights (2019) - Yes, this includes information on CDL, which was discussed at this conference.

This is what I'm doing in the coming months.  If we end up in the same location, let's meet for coffee!

Conference

Currently, I have only one conference on my schedule:

• Jan. 24-27 - ALA Midwinter Conference (ALAmw20) in Philadelphia, PA.  Look for me in the Convention Center and in the Reading Terminal Market, where the food choices are awesome!

Teaching

I'm teaching the following this winter and spring:

• Copyright for Information Professionals (IST 735) - Jan. 13 - Apr. 28 (asynchronous online, credit-bearing graduate course)
  Basic ideas, concepts and perspectives of management as they apply to the information professions. Students learn to understand and apply basic principles of organization theory and behavior and managerial techniques needed to improve organizational effectiveness. This course is offered through Syracuse University.


• US Copyright Law in the Library: A Beginner's Guide (ALA eCourse) - Feb. 2 - Mar. 15 (asynchronous, non-credit-bearing)
  The library is a hub of content, all of it subject to copyright law. The legal reality of copyright is dynamic—changes in technology have created a landscape that is constantly adapting and can be difficult to predict. If you don't have any formal training in copyright law, it can be intimidating to know how to answer your patrons' copyright questions and to know what you can and cannot do with your library’s content and resources. It can be tough to understand the line between providing information and answering a legal question.
  
  In this eCourse, you will be guided through the basics of copyright law and provided with the foundation to become your library's copyright expert.
  
  Each week, you'll learn how copyright law informs what libraries, library staff, and patrons can do with their materials and how you can stay up-to-date as this area evolves. You'll be able to check and affirm your knowledge through focused self-assessments.  This asynchronous eCourse is offered through ALA Publishing.


• The Public Library as Institution (IST 600) - Mar. 25 - June 16 (online with synchronous and asynchronous components each week)
  This credit-bearing course covers the unique aspects of public libraries include structure, governance, funding, and community interactions. In addition, public libraries are impacted by many societal concerns. This course prepares students to examine and support those areas of public librarianship. This course is offered through Syracuse University.


• Productivity 101 - May 14, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, SCRLC offices in Ithaca, NY
  Productivity. It's important, but we often struggle with how to stay organized so that we are productive. We struggle with email, time management, and managing workloads. We want to delegate tasks, and even say "no" to some, but we struggle with the best way of doing that. In this interactive workshop, you will learn and use methods for these areas, and become more productive. Both paper and digital methods will be discussed.

Other Stuff 

First, I am now the president of the Onondaga County Public Library Board of Trustees.  It is a honor to be able to serve this library and the OCPL system in this way (32 libraries in total)! 

Second, in 2017, I became involved in the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival. This is a continuation of the campaign begun by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After the 2016 elections, I wanted to get involved some how in making a difference in our country. Like many others, I looked for an effort that resonated with my values.  I particularly wanted to get involved in something locally. This is where I''m donating my energy working with the NYS Poor People's Campaign and the CNY organizing committee.  Why am I posting this here? Because I just want to share something that is important to me.

The year 2019 is coming to a close. Every year seems busy and often too busy. While I think of things I want to blog about, frequently I find I don't have time to do the posts.  I hope that might change at some point in 2020.  For now, here is a rambling look back at 2019 with some new thought thrown in.

Digitization

I have not spent much time this year thinking about digitization outside of the ALA Annual Conference (post). However, I have colleagues who report occasionally about their continued digitization efforts and I am pleased at the progress they are making. With moves towards augmented reality (AR), it is likely that our digitized material is and will be integrated into some of them. What is augmented reality? According to Wikipedia:

Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be defined as a system that fulfills three basic features: a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects.

Actually, a quick search shows that there are already historical sites using augmented reality, such as James Monroe's Highland in Virginia. Are they including digitized materials? That I cannot tell, but I hope they are.

The other area, related to digitization, worth noting is the need to provide more digital materials to support online education.  That includes ideas like controlled digital lending, which was also a topic at ALA (post).  This is an area where our needs are moving quickly. We need to have the correct laws, licensing, guidelines, etc., to support this trend.

Copyright

Rather than looking back, I want to look forward. January 1, 2020 will mark the second New Year's Day in a row where copyrighted works will enter the public domain due to their age.  In celebration, Lifehacker has published These 1924 Copyrighted Works Enter the Public Domain in 2020.

More information on Public Domain Day can be found in Wikipedia.

Onondaga County Public Library

Over two year ago, I joined the Board of Trustees for the Onondaga County Public Library (OCPL) System. Quoting our website:

OCPL is one of 23 public library systems chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York. It operates the Central Library, nine Syracuse city branches and two satellite libraries, and 21 independent libraries in suburban Onondaga County.

These libraries serve a county population of 461,809. Within the City of Syracuse (population 142,749), the library users include 30.5% of the population, who lived below the poverty line in 2018.  One of the services OCPL has expanded this year, with funding released by our County Executive, is technology backpacks which can be borrowed for people to use at home (or elsewhere).  Each tech backpack includes:

• Chromebook and charger
• Verizon hotspot and charger
• Quick start guide for using the equipment

These have been deployed across the county based on concentrations of poverty.

Among the other good news at OCPL is that we have a new executive director coming in January 2020.  Christian Zabriskie is well-known in some circles for his work in Queens and Yonkers (NY), as well as co-founding Urban Librarians Unite (ULU). In 2012, Christian was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker. Recently, he and Lauren Comito, his ULU co-founder, were named Library Journal's Librarian(s) of the Year 2020.

My personal OCPL good news is that I am becoming Board president in January.  This will put all of my library knowledge, and ability to get work done through others, to the test and I'm looking forward to it!

Poverty and Libraries

Our public libraries are for everyone, including people with all different abilities and backgrounds.  They are most important to those in marginalized communities, whatever "marginalized" may mean in that context. The question every public library should be asking is what it can do to be of service in those communities. Once asked, then the library needs to talk with members of that community to figure out the answers. The library should not jump to conclusions, because that could mean that the library is doing what it deems to be correct, rather than what the community needs.

Many groups are focused on serving the poor in our communities and there are some specifically focused on raising up the voices of the poor. The Poor People's Campaign, started by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is one of those groups that is working across the U.S.  If you are a public librarian, what groups are working with those in your community who are living in poverty? Who is advocating for the poor?  What civic engagement activities can you and your library do to make a positive change in your community, in regards to poverty?

There are other issues in our communities: the opioid crisis, racism, homelessness (and home insecurity), the perpetually unemployed, etc.  These issues may have been glossed over by your news media, but they tore at your community in 2019. What can your library do to help?

Gig Work

One of the things that is happening around us is the increased amount of "gig work" that is occurring. Gig work can be defined as, "...income-earning activities outside of traditional, long-term employer-employee relationships."  Gig work impacts how we use technology and information.  It is impacts how space is used in our communities, including our libraries which offer space for people to work and meet, as well as access to technology.

This year, I heard Dr. Steve Sawyer give a talk about his research in progress related to gig work.  What stood out to me was the infrastructure - hidden to me - that has been created to support knowledge workers, who do not have a corporate office.  For a growing number of people, there is no office waiting for them in a corporate office building. Rather they are given the "flexibility" to work from home or at another location which suits them.  Sawyer noted that corporations used to provide offices, technology, and support, but now workers must acquire those things themselves (to varying degrees). Yes, a business may provide some tech support, for example, but because the person is not located where the support is, the person may need to do most of the tech support themselves.

There are a growing number of coworking spaces in our communities. You might not know about them, because you're not looking for them. If you've heard about one, you likely thought it was an aberration, but it's not and we're beyond the trend phase of this. If you know nothing about this, this article from ChargeSpot will be helpful.

If you are working in a library, how is your library supporting gig workers? Think about knowledge workers and those in other parts of the gig economy, like Uber and Lyft drivers. If there are coworking spaces in your community, are you interacting with them? Do they see the library as a resource?

Steve Sawyer is interested in specific aspects of the gig economy, which is not what I took away from his talk! (Sorry, Steve.) A paper of Steve's, with three collaborators, is available on ResearchGate.  That paper is, "Platformic Management, Boundary Resources for Gig Work, and Worker Autonomy." I know that he has other writings on this topic, which you can find through various databases.

T is for Training

I'm mentioning this, because I rarely do on this blog. In 2008, Maurice Coleman started a twice monthly podcast called T is for Training. The podcast is focused primarily on training (in and outside of libraries) and technology, although we focus on other issues.  I've been involved in T is for Training since its start.  It has changed over the years, because nothing can stay exactly the same. Who is involved has changed as well as, in 2019, when we record. We've also become closer colleagues and friends. There is nothing like a twice-monthly hour-long conversation to help create a close community!

T is for Training episodes are available on a variety of different podcast platforms. The website includes information on when we record as well as show notes. There aren't transcripts of the episodes, which means this podcast is not fully accessible. The show notes do capture the topics discussed and often a long list of resources mentioned.

The Best Tool of the Year

I've written before about the bullet journal method of staying organized and focused. This method grew into the most important tool for me this year.  With the number of committees I've been on, etc., my bullet journal has become by trusty companion. Yes, better than the previous work journals that I have kept. In a increasingly digital work, I think it is telling that the best tool for me remains paper.

And so this is my year in review!  I hope 2019 has had some bright spots for you.  May 2020 bring you the opportunities you have been working towards!

Happy New Year!

It is the end of the year and people are publishing wrap-up stories of 2019.  Here are two focused on copyright:

• Kupferschmid, Keith. (Dec. 20, 2019) Top Ten Copyright Stories of 2019…and What to Expect in 2020.  Copyright Clearance Center.
• Albanese, Andrew and Christopher Kenneally. (Dec. 13, 2019) Register of Copyrights Heads to Hollywood.  Beyond the Book Podcast. (12 minutes) This is a preview of a Publisher's Weekly an article in the Dec. 16 issue.

 

It is amazing to think that the year 2020 is nearly here!  I remember when people were panicking over the change from 1999 to 2000.  Well, as 2020 approaches, this is my travel and presentation schedule for the start of the year.

Conference

Right now, I only have one conference on my schedule for the first part of 2020.

• Jan. 24-27 - I will be at the ALA Midwinter Conference (ALAmw20) in Philadelphia, PA.  The last time I remember ALAmw being in Philly, the city received 11 inches of snow in one day!  That made getting to Midwinter (and the ALISE conference before it) rather difficult.  Let's hope that the weather is more cooperative this time.
  
  Besides attending sessions and visiting the Exhibit Hall, I would be happy to talk with people about the iSchool Public Libraries Initiative and the research we are engaged in.  Please do let me know if you want to meetup and perhaps do lunch at the Reading Terminal Market.

Teaching

• Copyright for Information Professionals (IST 735) - Jan. 13 - Apr. 28 (asynchronous online, credit-bearing graduate course)
  Basic ideas, concepts and perspectives of management as they apply to the information professions. Students learn to understand and apply basic principles of organization theory and behavior and managerial techniques needed to improve organizational effectiveness. This course is offered through Syracuse University.


• US Copyright Law in the Library: A Beginner's Guide (ALA eCourse) - Feb. 2 - Mar. 15 (asynchronous, non-credit-bearing)
  The library is a hub of content, all of it subject to copyright law. The legal reality of copyright is dynamic—changes in technology have created a landscape that is constantly adapting and can be difficult to predict. If you don't have any formal training in copyright law, it can be intimidating to know how to answer your patrons' copyright questions and to know what you can and cannot do with your library’s content and resources. It can be tough to understand the line between providing information and answering a legal question.
  
  In this eCourse, you will be guided through the basics of copyright law and provided with the foundation to become your library's copyright expert.
  
  Each week, you'll learn how copyright law informs what libraries, library staff, and patrons can do with their materials and how you can stay up-to-date as this area evolves. You'll be able to check and affirm your knowledge through focused self-assessments.  This asynchronous eCourse is offered through ALA Publishing.


• The Public Library as Institution (IST 600) - Mar. 25 - June 16 (online with synchronous and asynchronous components each week)
  This credit-bearing course covers the unique aspects of public libraries include structure, governance, funding, and community interactions. In addition, public libraries are impacted by many societal concerns. This course prepares students to examine and support those areas of public librarianship. This course is offered through Syracuse University.

Later in 2020

There is definitely more to come later in the year.  If you are interested in discussing a workshop for your organization, contact me.

ALA has a interview with the authors of Coaching Copyright, Kevin L. Smith and Erin L. Ellis. Smith and Ellis released this new book in September. The book's goal is to empower:

users to take a practical approach to specific situations. Complete with in-depth case studies, this collection provides valuable information rooted in pragmatic techniques, including:

• in-depth discussion of the five questions that will help you clarify any copyright situation;
• storytelling techniques to enliven copyright presentations, plus ways to use music or YouTube to hook students into copyright topics;
• three coaching scenarios that tie into ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and bring real-world applications to your library instruction;
• how-to guidance on leading mock negotiations over real journal publishing agreements;
• a 90-minute lesson plan on author rights for writers in a student journal;
• tips for teaching instructional designers how to apply copyright and fair use principles to course management systems; and
• an LIS copyright course assessment model.

The interview provides some advice, with clearly much more in the book.  Yes, read the interview and consider purchasing the book.