Article: Born to be authors: the copyright of the child

This article - Born to be authors: the copyright of the child - describes a prospective research project by Dr. Maria Mercedes Frabboni, from the University of Sussex. She presented this prospective project at the 2022 Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference.  

I think that we rarely talk about children as creators who may hold copyright in their words, so I'm thrilled to see that Dr. Frabboni is focused on this.  My belief is that we need to teach children to value and respect each other's work as a step towards then teaching them about copyright. Would I teach a five year old about copyright law? No, but I would teach that child about the value of their creativity and the creativity of others. As that child gets older, they will be able to learn more about their rights in their work and the rights of others. If taught well, then we would have adults who are much more knowledgeable about the law. (Wouldn't that be awesome!)

I look forward to hearing more about Dr. Frabboni's research. I hope it is widely circulated!

New Book: Complete Copyright for K–12 Librarians and Educators, Second Edition

Can you have too many copyright books? Perhaps not!

Written by Carrie Russell, who worked with copyright law for over 20 years, this new edition of Complete Copyright for K–12 Librarians and Educators, Second Edition is scheduled to be release this spring (so any day?). Its description is:

Reflecting the dominance of digital technologies and networks across much of the country, this timely update of Russell's handbook demonstrates how school librarians and educators can effectively advance learning while respecting intellectual property law.

Particularly in places of learning, technology is all-pervasive; because everyone is always making copies, copyright is center stage. And copyright law, when misapplied or misinterpreted, affects not only the way that you teach but even what you teach. With decades of experience interpreting the intricacies of copyright law as it pertains to librarianship, Russell is the ideal authority to address the concerns of librarians, teachers, and teaching librarians who work in the K–12 environment. Her book will encourage you to stop allowing your fear of copyright issues to limit how and what you share or teach, and instead be more involved in shaping copyright law to better serve your learning community. Through scenario-based discussions, it covers key topics such as

• the reasons librarians and teachers have so many misconceptions about copyright, and why understanding copyright is a process, not a one-time event;
• recent legislative and policy developments that impact schools and libraries; 
• situations often encountered by educators, such as using copyrighted material in class assignments, digital lesson plans, bulletin board displays, social media, school plays, and band performances and talent shows;
• the use of licensed content in a variety of settings;
• what constitutes "fair use," so that you can be empowered by knowing exactly what's possible within the law; and
• guidance on making long-term strategic decisions and developing copyright policies.

The book is priced at $54.99 (ALA members, $49.49). Pre-ordering is available through the ALA website.

Webinar Resources: Developing Cultural Humility

Today I'm giving a webinar for the Finger Lakes Library System on cultural humility. This blog post is for them, so they have easy access to the resources I'm sharing. 

Webinar Description

New to your community is a large group of people from various cultures. When they come to the library, what happens? Are you excited? Anxious? Curious? Ready to learn? 

When we interact with library patrons, community members, and other staff, we are often moving among different cultures. Sometimes we move among various cultures without thinking about it. Other times, we recognize the cultural difference and are unsure how to bridge the divide. These interactions demonstrate the need to develop a life-long process of self-exploration and self-critique, along with a willingness to learn from others. This process, called “cultural humility,” helps us see beyond our own culture as we work to become culturally competent.   

No matter your community or library, you are working across cultures, including some that may not be apparent to you. In this webinar, we will explore what culture is and the process for developing cultural humility, while also creating a plan for expanding our knowledge of the apparent and hidden cultures in our communities.

 Pre-reads

• Adilene Rogers. (2018) Cultural Humility in Librarianship: What is it? School Library Journal.
• Lincoln Hill. (2020) This Overlooked Trait is the Key to True Allyship, Medium.  
• Over Zero (2023) The Belonging Barometer, pages 2-4 ("The Roots of Belonging" and "Belonging & Othering").
• TV 2 Denmark.(2017) All That We Share.  (3 min.)

 Presentation Resources

• Trainers Library. (2020) Promoting cultural competence.
• Project Ready. Module 8: Cultural Competence & Cultural Humility.
• Winters, M-F. (2014) Cultural Competence. The Inclusion Solution.
• Cultural Competence – Part 1: What Is It Really?
• Cultural Competence – Part 2: Why Is It Important?
• Cultural Competence – Part 3: How Do You Become More Culturally Competent?
• Cultural Competence – Part 4: You Have To Do The Work