Copyright Law for Archivists: A Risk Assessment Approach

When is it safe to take a risk? When it comes to copyright, that is a hard question to answer. There is no doubt that copyright rules can sometimes be onerous for archivists. What does one do when even a moderate adherence to the provisions of copyright law seems to inhibit such basic archival work as preservation, reference service, and digitization for external access? Is it worth taking the risk that your decision might land your repository in court? Will your institution back you up if that happens?

This two-day workshop combines a detailed look at copyright basics with a risk-management approach for archivists to use in assessing their own collections and institutional circumstances. He will show where there can be room to maneuver by explaining the law’s sometimes complex facets, and he will help archivists learn how to determine whether there are existing exceptions and limitations they can use. The ultimate goal is to enable archivists to fulfill their fundamental purpose—achieving as wide a use as possible of their collections.