Becoming a Copyright Librarian: 2021 Miami University Libraries Copyright Conference

Since it was online, I was able to attend the  2021 Miami University Libraries Copyright Conference. Below are my notes from the first session on Sept. 27.

Becoming a Copyright Librarian

Presenters: Emilie Algenio, Kenneth D. Crews, and Pia Hunter 

Description: In this session three panelists will share their stories about taking on responsibilities as copyright librarians.

Emilie Algenio - She began with a very honest land acknowledgement (i.e., telling the true history of the Native people who lived in her region), which I greatly appreciated.

Resources:

• Algenio, E. R. (2018). Making the Transition as the New Copyright Librarian. Journal of Copyright in Education &Amp; Librarianship, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.17161/jcel.v2i1.6579 
• ALA.Why Librarians Care about Intellectual Property Law and Policy

What works in becoming a copyright librarian?

• Take a workshop, etc.
  
• Delve into a community of practice - bounce ideas off of another expert. Different people have different subject strengths.
• Captain your own ship - Become a copyright leader in your workplace. Look at the research your colleagues have done. Draw upon the collective wisdom.
• Manage relationships - Maintain a collegial relationship with your colleagues, especially on your campus.

What doesn't work?

• The view from 10,000 feet - details matter
  
• Documenting impact, without clarification - What impact matters to you and your organization?
  
• Sticking to the U.S. - Have international colleagues gives you a broader perspective. Attend international conferences, e.g., IFLA, if possible.

Pia Hunter - 

Three essential qualities:

• Collaborative persistence: Identify the needs of your constituency and plan to work with them - again, and again. You need to be patient.
• Adaptability: Embrace evolution because the law is ever-changing. There is constant change and innovation.
  
• Confidence: The law can seem opaque, but sit with the statutes and cases, read the literature, and engage with the copyright librarian community.

Three things to do, if you haven't already:

•  Take a course (CopyrightX) or watch videos from webinars or copyright conferences. Do not operate in the dark.
• Develop your voice. Write about the cases that interest you and why. This engages you with the material in such a way that you absorb more info. It will make you more at ease with the topic.
• Assess the landscape: is there a role for a copyright librarian at your institution? What does your organization need and what can you offer? Are you up for the challenge?

Resources:

• CopyrightX
• ALA Copyright for Libraries
• ACRL Scholarly Communications Toolkit
• EFF 
• CMSI Codes of Best Practices
  

Kenny Crews -  

There is always something new to dig into, which means that multiple conferences can be helpful. 

Copyright is cultural bound. (Reminds me of thoughts around traditional knowledge, etc.) Tied to life expectancy.  

Three biggest hazards:

• Signing a licenses without reading and negotiating. Licenses are contracts. The person who signs the contract is a powerful person, because they can allow you to have (or not) access to content. Copyright is a starting point. The license can redefine the rules of use.
  
• Any mention of "work made for hire" in a faculty presentation. The work may be owned by the employer and the worker (human author) is irrelevant. Work made for hire can be a toxic issue, because people want to be recognized for their work. Think about what result the organization and the employee want. Ask questions! You may agree to a more sensible agreement.
  
• "Looks like you have a fair use question!" The listener may hear that you - the copyright librarian - said that they van use fair use, even if that is not what you said. Language matters.
• Be careful using the phrase "it depends". That phrase can turn the listener off.
• There is virtue in saying "no." You are lending credibility to every time you say "yes." If everything is a "yes," then there are no rules. You are helping people respect what the "line" is which should not be crossed.

Three best friends:

• A supportive and understanding legal counsel.
• Your own wisdom, flexibility, and intuition about copyright statutes and their meaning. Trust yourself. Be flexible in your reading.
  
• The network of great colleagues around the country, allowing you to share ideas and seek guidance.
  

Resources:

• Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions 4th Edition

Questions:

• Did Crews expect the growth of copyright librarians?  No. Kenny Crews was the (likely) first copyright librarian. He thought that the position/need would have gone to legal counsel. He also thinks legal counsel at some institutions wanted to be buffered from these questions.
• Copyright librarians have been around for 27 years.
  
• General tips:
  
• Share recent copyright news (be selective).
• Plug into communities that are discussing the knowledge/information you need. 
• Have the information come to you (RSS feeds, etc.).
• Be protective of your time. Develop efficiencies. If a person has a complicated project, invite the person in so you can get all of the details.
• Prioritize your university/organization's questions. Be careful of answering questions from outside your institution, because you don't know who they are, etc.
• There are times when you will need to take questions to legal counsel. However, know that your organization's legal counsel may be will versed in copyright. 
• When you do go to legal counsel, also take 1-3 potential answers.
• How has copyright changed in higher education because of the pandemic?
• Even before COVID there were copyright issues coming into the picture. So more of a focus on copyright.
• There is overlap between copyright and privacy. 
• Ownership side - We're creating more copyrightable content in the online education world. Who owns that embodiment of the information? Ownership? Authorship? Work for hire? Don't leave the answer to the law - because you won't like the answer - but develop organizational policy instead.
• There has been a expansion of what we consider a classroom. Online education isn't just for adult education.  Now children are doing online education.  We need to re-think licensing agreements on the content we want to use.
  

Crews: Get involved with the copyright community. Get involved in what is happening with the law. Get involved early, if you are so inclined, and let your voice be heard.

My thought: If you feed your knowledge, your intuition will benefit.