[WEB4LIB] photos on web page

[Daniel Messer]

    I don't know how the laws of your state work, but here in Washington, any
photo taken at any kind of public gathering is perfectly legal and you don't
have to obtain any sort of permissions to publish it as long as it is you are
the one who took the photo.From what I've read, many states have a similar law.
This means that you can go to the park and take pictures of people and places
at the park and since it is in a public setting, you don't have to obtain
permission from anyone. I'm told the idea is that, since they are outside in a
public place they lose a little of the "right to privacy" they might expect at
home. After all, it's illegal in most any state to take pictures of people at
their homes without their permissions.
    You might check the laws of your state and see if there's any similar type
of setup. If so, it's just a common curtousy to let people know that photos
will be taken at a storytime or other library sponsored event and that these
photos may be published on the library web page. We have pictures of staff and
public all over our web page and I'm 99% certain we never bothered to ask the
people in the photographs if for permission to publish these pictures on our
web pages. However, I'm making sure I point out that these pictures more
depicted an event or avtivity more than a single person or a goup of people.
The address for our page is below, you can find the pictures under the
Libraries and Hours links.
    On the other subject, we are in the process of setting up an in-house photo
database which will also be available via the web. We will be using the popular
CONTENTdm (formerly CONTENT) photo databasing and archival software. Links are
below for their webpage. Also, the Tacoma Public Library developed their own
web delievered photo databasing software using ASP. I've included that link
too.

Yakima Valley Regional Library Photos:
    http://www.yvrls.lib.wa.us/libhours.html

Tacoma Public Library Photodatabase:
    http://search.tpl.lib.wa.us/images/

CONTENTdm Photo databasing software:
    http://contentdm.com

Hope that's of some help...
Dan

Tana Elias wrote:

> Hello.  We're just beginning to use photos on our web page.  To date, we've
> started with staff so as to avoid the permissions issue.  But we'd like to
> put photos, particularly of children's events, up on our web page and are
> concerned about how to get permission to display the photos.  It's near
> impossible to get 50 signed permission slips of a popular story hour, and
> in some cases children don't even attend with their parents.  I'd be
> interested to hear how other libraries have dealt with this issue.  Do you
> have a policy?  Do you use permissions forms?  Did you consult with an
> attorney to develop the forms, policies, or procedures?  Do you avoid the
> problem altogether and purchase stock art?  If so, what source do you use?
>
> And along the same lines, do you have an in-house photo database, and if
> so, what software do you use to maintain it?

--
Mondai wa
The subject in queston...
---
Daniel Messer
Technologies Instructor
Yakima Valley Regional Library
dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
---
On your mark, bokura ga
soredemo yamenai no wa
yume no shamen miagete (itsuka wa)
yuke-sou na ki ga suru kara
     Chage & Asuka "On Your Mark"