Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:38:09 -0500
For immediate release:
January 26, 2012

For more information, contact:
Brandon Butler
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
[log in to unmask]

ARL Releases Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research
Libraries

Washington, DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) announces
the release of the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and
Research Libraries, a clear and easy-to-use statement of fair and
reasonable approaches to fair use developed by and for librarians who
support academic inquiry and higher education. The Code was developed
in partnership with the Center for Social Media and the Washington
College of Law at American University. Winston Tabb, Johns Hopkins
University Dean of University Libraries and Museums and President of
ARL, said, “This document is a testament to the collective wisdom of
academic and research librarians, who have asserted careful and
considered approaches to some very difficult situations that we all
face every day.”

In dozens of interviews with veteran research and academic librarians,
the researchers learned how copyright law comes into play as
interviewees performed core library functions. Then, in a series of
small group discussions held with library policymakers around the
country, the research team developed a consensus approach to applying
fair use.

Co-facilitator Brandon Butler, Director of Public Policy Initiatives
at ARL, said, “The power of this project depends on the many
librarians who participated. They were extraordinarily generous with
their time and their insight.”

The Code deals with such common questions in higher education as:

* When and how much copyrighted material can be digitized for student
use? And should video be treated the same way as print?

* How can libraries’ special collections be made available online?

* Can libraries archive websites for the use of future students and
scholars? Librarians have already expressed enthusiasm about the
release of the Code.

[SNIP]

The Code identifies the relevance of fair use in eight recurrent
situations for librarians:

* Supporting teaching and learning with access to library materials
via digital technologies

* Using selections from collection materials to publicize a library’s
activities, or to create physical and virtual exhibitions

* Digitizing to preserve at-risk items

* Creating digital collections of archival and special collections materials

* Reproducing material for use by disabled students, faculty, staff,
and other appropriate users

* Maintaining the integrity of works deposited in institutional repositories

* Creating databases to facilitate non-consumptive research uses
(including search)

* Collecting material posted on the web and making it available In the
Code, librarians affirm that fair use is available in each of these
contexts, providing helpful guidance about the scope of best practice
in each.

The development of the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic
and Research Libraries is supported by a grant from The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation.

To download, view:
http://www.arl.org/pp/ppcopyright/codefairuse/code/index.shtml


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