Complete Copyright for K-12 Librarians and Educators
Russell (director of ALA’s Program on Public Access to Information and author of Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide for Librarians, 2004) provides seven scenarios that illustrate how to evaluate and apply fair use in schools. There are no simple lists of rules, because copyright lags behind advancing technology and the 1976 Copyright Act. Instead, the book offers typical problems (the school media center is renovated, and the librarian wants to copy old filmstrips to a PowerPoint presentation; a teacher wants to delete swear words from a DVD she shows in class; a student wants to paint a mural on the wall featuring scenes from Twilight) and their solutions. Russell notes that most K–12 teachers and librarians are afraid of legal liability and do not explore reasonable options.  There are eight appendixes and a glossary of terms, and an excellent index paves the way for quick lookups of fair-use concerns. This unique resource is highly recommended for schools and would also be of interest to academic and public librarians. The illustrations and scenarios make this book a particularly user-friendly and interesting read. --Sharon Cohen