[Web4lib] Copyright restrictions on reading material aloud online

[Ms Norma Jean Hewlett]

Where can I find good online material about copyright guidelines for
reading books aloud to online groups?

I'm director of a library on SecondLife that does not have a real life
counterpart. (In other words, this library only exists online on
SecondLife.)

A volunteer has offered to read books online for us, a chapter a week
until the book is finished. This would be available as live streaming
audio on SecondLife and via the web.

So far, all of our activities have involved material that's in the
public domain, but he would like to read some classic science fiction
novels that are still under copyright. 

All of which is to explain why I'm seeking information about copyright
regulations and how they apply. I'd appreciate both current material on
this to update my professional knowledge and perhaps something simple
that I can share with volunteers.

TIA for any information or leads,

Jean Hewlett

aka Riven Homewood
Director, Steelhead Public Library, SecondLife