CDL Rights Management Framework

Step 1: Digital Collections Project Planning

General Information on Copyright and Digital Libraries

Learn About Copyright

The links below are web-accessible sites and documents that are useful in understanding U.S. copyright law in general and its application in libraries.

• U.S. Copyright Office. Copyright Basics
• Stanford University Libraries. Copyright and Fair Use
• Collaborative Digitization Program. Legal, Copyright & Intellectual Property Resources
• Librarylaw.com Copyright and Libraries

Understand Specific Steps to Undertake in a Digital Library Project

• Jean Heilig. Legal Issues to Consider When Digitizing Collections
• Mary Minow. Library Digitization Projects and Copyright
• Melissa Smith Levine. Overview of Legal Issues for Digitization.

Training for Project Participants

Determine and Address Training Needs

Part of the planning stages for any digital library project must be the education of everyone who will be participating in the decision points of the digital library workflow. CDL, in conjunction with library law expert Mary Minow, has developed a training program, "Copyright Issues for Digitization Projects," that is provided through the Infopeople project.

In addition to the information we've listed here, the following online training materials and in-person workshops provide general overviews of copyright issues to consider when digitizing collections:

• Infopeople
  • Borrowing" Graphics or Text for Library web Pages: Fair Game, Fair Play, and Fair Use
  • Digitization Projects: Does Your Library Have the Rights and Permissions it Needs?
• OCLC Western Service Center
  • Basic Copyright Management for Digital Materials

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Go to Steps:

• Step 2: Evaluate Rights Issues
• Step 3: Materials Selection and Rights Status Determination
• Step 4: Record Rights Information
• Step 5: Deliver Digital Assets to the CDL