More on electronic reserves

[Brian Nielsen]

At 08:30 AM 9/5/96 -0700,  crosbie at aesop.rutgers.edu  wrote:
>part of the problem
>has been the issues of copyright and ensuring we make a good faith effort in
>protecting that right, and part of the problem has been in getting faculty
>to contribute materials for 'in semester' use.
>
>I would say that the library should provide a common gateway to those
>materials, but that the materials can be produced and stored anywhere
>throughout the university (or beyond the university...)  There must be a
>mechanism to allow professors to register his/her URL in a database
>maintained by the library, preferably via a web form (the OPAC if it permits
>this functionality, although a simple flat file with Perl scripts will do.)

>I also believe that libraries will have a big role in ensuring the security
>of copyrighted materials that are put into digital format for reserves.  I
>would welcome any ideas on how to make sure we comply with the, at best
>amorphous and at worst draconian, proposals for dealing with digital copyright.

Northwestern too has expanded its e-reserve system to include pointers to
faculty-maintained webs as well as maintaining webspace for faculty who'd
rather not get their fingers dirty...  

Regarding "complying" with copyright, I would urge libraries not to get so
concerned with potential violation of copyright in areas that are amorphous.
We should NOT be scaredy-cats; the fair use section of the 1976 Act should
be re-read by all, and we should exercise the rights it offers or we will
lose them.  Take heart by looking at Kenny Crews' notes on the last MDS
hearing at http://www.iupui.edu/it/copyinfo/mdshrg.html  and start writing
your congressperson to tell him/her to not mess with the 76 law.

Brian Nielsen

		Brian Nielsen, Ph.D.
		Manager, Learning Technologies Group
		 Academic Technologies
		Northwestern University
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