Special Report: Copyright, Libraries and the Public, part three

In this third installment of the NCompass series examining the principles of copyright law, we discuss copyright education.

The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) recently launched a new service called the Copyright Education Program. The program provides the library community with authoritative information about copyright. A Web site at copyright.ala.org/home.html offers an educational and communications medium for all librarians from all types of libraries. The Web site includes ALA copyright principles, copyright basics, copyright fair use, copyright and the library, copyright and learning, and information about the Copyright Education Program. One goal of the program is to encourage librarians to provide feedback regarding the Copyright Principles and discuss current and anticipated copyright practices in all types of libraries. The Copyright Education Program addresses the purpose of the copyright law, fair use, public domain, the librarian's role in educating the public about copyright, and the librarian's role in representing the public's right to information. The program helps librarians address complex copyright questions and gain confidence and expertise in dealing with copyright issues.

In addition to the Web site, the Copyright Education Program includes an e-mail tutorial taught by a leading expert in copyright and libraries, copyright presentations and workshops designed for library institutional needs, print publications (including fact sheets and easy-to-use copyright guides), principles for librarians to help guide their response and action when faced with a copyright issue, analyses of pending copyright legislation and court decisions written by legal experts, and "train-the trainer" type programs to build local expertise.

For more information about the ALA Copyright Education Program, contact Carrie Russell, OITP copyright specialist at 800-941-8478, e-mail: copyright@alawash.org or copyright.ala.org. For more copyright information see the Library Commission home page, search on Copyright. For the full text of the Copyright Handbook: a Guide for Nebraska Libraries, search on Copyright Handbook or contact Mary Geibel, 402-471-2045, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Mary Geibel. Send comments or suggestions for this series to Ellen Van Waart, 402-471-4004, 800-307-2665.

LAMA Institutes Scheduled

LAMA (Library Administration and Management Association of the American Library Association) Institutes are planned for this spring. The Nebraska Library Commission, Nebraska's Regional Library Systems, the Public Library Resource Group, and the University of Nebraska Council of Libraries sponsor these regional institutes to explore broad issues of current importance to librarianship:

Leadership Survival Kit on April 27 at the Sandhills Convention Center in North Platte. Abigail Hubbard of the Department of Management, University of Houston, explores leadership and decision-making; communications strategies; conflict management; creativity; and power and politics.

Libraries in the Digital Age: Visions for the Future and Road Maps for Change on May 22 at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln. Jan A. Baltzer, Director of Technology Planning at Mesa (AZ) Community College and a partner in the information technology consulting firm of Baltzer-Sutton Associates, will address the impact of digital age technology on the role and services of libraries and librarians.

Contact: Ellen Van Waart 402-471-4004, 800-307-2665, Fax: 402-471-2083. To register, see the Library Commission home page at nlc.nebraska.gov, search on LAMA Registration. Send registration fees of $20 per person per Institute to Sue Biltoft, Nebraska Library Commission, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023.

Commission Sponsors Campfire Chats

In January, more than 65 people at 14 sites across the state attended Library Commission sponsored videoconferences to present basic information about the Commission's Database project. Since its beginning four years ago, the database project has brown from 78 participating libraries to more than 650 this year. The database project initially included one information provider and ten databases. Now the project includes more than a dozen information providers and approximately 35 databases, and it continues to grow. The goal of the campfire Chat videoconferences is to build a foundation of understanding and knowledge for all interested librarians. Videoconference handouts and the Questions and Answers are posted to the Nebraska Library Commission homepage, see nlc.nebraska.gov, search on Campfire Chat.

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