Copyright for Teachers & Librarians in the 21st Century

Abstract

Copyright is a subject that can be grasped in principle but is sometimes challenging to understand or apply in specific situations. Butler is a library school professor at Northern Illinois University who speaks, teaches, and publishes extensively about copyright. This work updates her 2004 edition of Copyright for Teachers and Librarians (Neal-Schuman Publishers; 2004; ISBN: 978-1-55570-500-8), particularly in the areas of new technologies. Organized into two parts with a total of fourteen chapters, this book features two appendixes and a ten-page index. One appendix includes excerpts from US copyright law. The other appendix is a glossary of terms for chapter 6, “The Internet and Copyright Law.” It is surprising that the book does not include a more comprehensive glossary, but terms are defined throughout. Part 1 covers essential concepts (definitions, fair use, public domain, obtaining permissions, etc.), while part 2 offers specific examples of copyright law (Internet content as public access, movie formats, television, computer software, music/audio, multimedia, print works, distance education, and issues that matter to K–12 teachers and librarians). A typical chapter introduces the topic and then uses a question-and-answer format to explain a specific matter. These questions were derived from the author's workshops and other teaching sessions. Each chapter includes several flowcharts and pertinent bibliographic references. The author advises reading part 1 before tackling part 2. The book is illustrated throughout with eighty-two helpful flowcharts for making decisions in specific instances such as using photographs from the web, copying a DVD, incorporating clip art, performing a play in public, and other examples. This book is solid, authoritative, handy, comprehensive, readable, thoughtful, and well referenced. The title makes it sound like the book's emphasis is on K–12 teachers, but the work is useful for librarians who work with teaching faculty at all levels. This is an excellent purchase for most libraries, but readers seeking advice about establishing copyright compliance procedures in schools may wish to consider another work such as Butler's Smart Copyright Compliance for Schools: A How-To-Do-It Manual (Neal-Schuman Publishers; 2009; ISBN: 978-155570-646-3). Copyright for Teachers & Librarians in the 21st Century serves as the essential first step to educate one's self and one's institution and to consult as needed in matters related to copyright.