Article: The Purpose of Copyright by Lydia Pallas Loren

This article by Lydia Pallas Loren (Associate Professor of Law, Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College) provides a useful overview of copyright and its purpose. I like that she even talks about the "dark side".  Loren notes:

This dark side, this pervasive misconception, is turning copyright into what our founding fathers tried to guard against - a tool for censorship and monopolistic oppression.

The article is written so that one does not have to be a copyright expert to understand it. It would be a good article to add to an academic reading list on the topic.

Academic Copyright Resources

I just want to share a few copyright resources at academic libraries, which I've come across in the last year:

• SUNY Empire State College, Copyright Information Resource Center
• University of Michigan Library, Copyright at the University of Michigan
• University of Columbia Libraries Copyright Advisory Office
• Baylor University Libraries, Copyright
• Arizona State University Libraries, Copyright

Yes, there are more out there, so there is a starter list.

The web site "Teaching Copyright"

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a web site called "Teaching Copyright." Geared for students in grades 9-12 students, the web site has five one-hour lessons that teachers can use on:

• Definitions of Copyright: What Do They Know?
• A Brief History of Copyright and Innovation
• Fair Use: Remix Culture, Mashups, and Copyright
• Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing
• Fair Use – You Be the Judge!

Teaching Copyright is one the 10 must-have teaching copyright and fair use resources for teachers listed on the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning web site.

Article: The challenge facing libraries in an era of fake news

Information literacy is increasingly in the forefront of our conversations.  Among the articles on the topic is this one from Donald A. Barclay, who looks at the challenges facing libraries.  I think this quote gets at the heart of the challenge:

In such an environment, how is a librarian or faculty member supposed to respond to a bright student who sincerely asks, “How can you say that a blog post attacking GMO food is less credible than some journal article supporting the safety of GMO food? What if the journal article’s research results were faked? Have the results been replicated? At the end of the day, aren’t facts a matter of context?”

The article is worth a read and I think you'll be intrigued by the scenario he opens with. 

Thanks to Chris Kenneally for pointing me toward this article!

Report: Future Skills: Update + Literature Review

In 2016, the Institute for the Future (IFTF) published the "Future Skills: Update + Literature Review." IFTF notes:

This Future Skills report is a comprehensive literature review that highlights eleven future skills. Each skill includes a definition and attributes, ways for acquisition and development, and means for assessment and evaluation. 

The report is 42 pages and there is a one-page infographic.

We are always thinking about the skills our library workers need. This is a report that could help inform our conversations.