Copyright In Cyberspace 2: Questions And Answers For Librarians [Paperback]

Gretchen McCord Hoffmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1555705170 | ISBN-13: 978-1555705176 | Edition: 2

You've been floating through cyberspace wondering if you are using and dispensing information legally. Worry, no more! Now, you have the answers at your fingertips. Written in an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format, this handbook provides the guidelines you need without confusing technical jargon and legalese. Topics covered include: hyperlinks and framing, browsing and caching, digital images, interlibrary loan and resource sharing, e-reserves and class-based Web pages, library instruction, and distance education. New and expanded chapters feature information on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, file-sharing, licensing, writing a copyright policy, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Hoffman addresses the increased complexity in the law as technology becomes more complicated and appeals to librarians to become advocates for the needs of information users. Following a format similar to Copyright in Cyberspace (Neal-Schuman, 2001), the book is divided into four sections covering copyright fundamentals, applying them in cyberspace, specific library applications as they relate to the increasing types of material that can be copyrighted, and resources. A section titled The dark side of the DMCA points out how the Digital Millennium Copyright Act protects the rights holders to such a degree that it affects librarians who might want to use a digital work during distance-education sessions or lend a copy of one if they circumvent the technology protecting it. The intricacies of file-sharing, browsing and caching, hyperlinks and framing, licensing, and electronic reserves are covered separately, bolstered by court-case examples, notes, and bibliographies. Hoffman discusses the guidelines of personal use in music file-sharing and touches on implications for digital-television videotaping. Her style is more conversational than formal, posing questions as paragraph headings such as, Can't I make use of anything I find on the Web without getting in trouble?! or What does all of this mean for libraries? Specific questions and answers appear in gray inset boxes, along with quotes by Gandhi, Michael Moore, Kirk Douglas, and others, to provide food for thought and inspire library activism. An indispensable reference for all types of libraries.–Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Library Journal

With more libraries providing access to the Internet and World Wide Web, Hoffman (chief articles editor of Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal) offers an explanation of some of the laws and problems of copyright in an online environment. She divides her book into four sections. The first provides a generalized history of copyright law in the United States. The second section describes how copyright is applied to the online world. The third delves into library issues, specifically distance education and how resources (such as Title 17 of the U.S. Code) referred to throughout the book. This section is interesting to those wanting to read the actual laws, but these resources are available elsewhere and take up almost half of the guide. Also, there are not many print materials cited beyond 1997. A nice feature is a series of Q&A boxes that explain aspects of copyright and how they relate to libraries. Recommended, especially for collections concentrating on distance learning. Rob Martindale, Dallas P.L. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 271 pages
• Publisher: Neal-Schuman Publishers; 2 edition (January 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555705170
• ISBN-13: 978-1555705176
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,101,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Artificial Intelligence > Cybernetics

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent survey of a difficult reference challenge., October 19, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Copyright In Cyberspace 2: Questions And Answers For Librarians (Paperback)

Librarians and college-level collections catering to them will find the seasoned reference COPYRIGHT IN CYBERSPACE 2: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR LIBRARIANS to be of utmost importance in understanding the legal and technical ramifications of cyberspace information and reference requirements. Chapters are designed to help librarians and teaching professionals stay within the copyright law while continuing to make resources available to patrons and students, and survey typical challenges, basic public domain and copyright laws, and fair use issues, making for an excellent survey of a difficult reference challenge.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch