Letters

Simply override the system, says one reader

I have read the article in the January 2003 SLJ entitled "Filters Block Needed Health Facts " (p. 18). First of all, I want to say that I am tired of the overall argument of bleeding heart liberals against filters in the school library setting. I will agree that filters block out material that is permissible for students to use in their research, but what is the big deal! Override the filter and bring the site up for the student. If you can't override the filter, see your computer tech person. I'm sure he/she would be happy to give you instructions on how to do this for the sake of your student's research.

Obviously, I'm for filters being used in the school setting. I am a parent of three adult children and have been a high school librarian for 35 years. There is no way that I would want any student in our school having access to all sites on the Web. I am not a policeman; I am a librarian. Our filtering system does our "police" work. I override the filter when a student is trying to access a site that is being filtered, provided that it is a site that is appropriate for research. I might not always agree with the contents of the site, but if it's not pornographic and the site is practical, I will allow the student to view it. So again, what is the big deal—override!

I suppose there are still those that are out there saying, "That's all we'll be doing, overriding." Take my word for it, you'll have plenty of time to do professional library work. Furthermore, you won't have to waste your time reading articles on filtering systems because you'll have it covered. Override!
--David Piscitelli Wilson Senior High School Library Wilson School District West Lawn, PA

[Editor's note: The following letter is in response to the September 2002, "Carrie on Copyright " column, p. 39]

If you read the fine print in the beginning of a comic book, there are copyright laws attached to the images. By not asking the artist's permission to copy his work, an infringement is made. I am an artist, and if I found my artwork being copied (freehand or not) and permission was not asked, I would certainly find out the purpose of its usage, then act accordingly. Art is no different than text. Whether it is being sold or not, it is being published under a student's name—not the artist's—which misleads the viewer into thinking that that student created the piece. Some students have an incredible ability to replicate the original. Having the student ask permission teaches them to respect others' creations. "Inspired by" or "based on" does not cut it either. Directly giving credit will.

P.S. I am both a certified art teacher and a certified school librarian.
--Rosanne Cipollone Library Information Specialist Letsche Alternative Educational Center Pittsburgh, PA

Carrie Replies

I agree that the copyright law protects works of art (although the fine print in the comic book does not make this so). However, the law also allows, under certain conditions, that someone other than a copyright holder may exercise a copyright. In these cases, what would ordinarily be infringement is a lawful activity, namely a "fair use." I argue that it is a fair use for a student to draw a picture based on another picture and include that drawing in the school brochure. Perhaps you have seen people in art museums, drawing their rendition of a work of art displayed there. Is this an infringement of copyright?

I don't think so. I think the fair-use doctrine allows this activity even if an exact replica could be created. (My response would be different if exact copies were created by photocopying or scanning.) I argue that even if the drawing is an infringement, there may be a lawful reason why prior permission from the copyright holder is not required. My reasoning is based on the four factors of fair- use (purpose, nature of the work, amount of the work being used, and effect on the market for the work). Fair use is a use that should be allowed because if not allowed, the purpose of copyright could not be achieved—to advance knowledge and learning. This does not mean that a student can pass other peoples' work off as his or her own. This is called plagiarism.

I expect that people will disagree with some of my responses in the column. Copyright law is very interpretative and different people will have different responses to the same questions. Rarely will the law provide a definitive answer.

My opinion, while not legal advice, is always framed within the goal of copyright as described by the founders of our country—to advance learning in order to benefit the public.
--Carrie Russell Copyright Specialist American Library Association Washington, DC

I just finished reading the article, "Promises You Can't Keep" (Dec. 2002, p. 31) by Gary Hartzell. Kudos to all of us who love our students and our libraries. I have felt overwhelmed at times, as have others, trying to be all that I can be to my students and staff. It is affirming to read supportive words by an author who knows from whence he speaks. My mission and vision will now be reevaluated to reflect what I can do for my students and how I can accomplish both, given the materials, capital, and attitudes of the district. Make no mistake, my administrator is highly supportive of our library media center and all the programs I initiate. I just wanted to hear some support from an "insider" that I don't have to overachieve and become discouraged when what I expect isn't always feasible.
--Deborah E. Bruen Library Media Specialist Abraham Pierson School Clinton, CT

I am writing in response to a review of my book The Very First Thanksgiving Day (S & S/Atheneum, 2002; October, p. 111). Frankly, the review baffles and disappoints me. First, the reviewer misquotes a book that is only 333 words long. (The phrase "big rock" is nowhere in the book.) I take much care in choosing each and every word in my picture books in order to make my writing sing. I wish the reviewer had taken equal care to at least quote the book correctly.

Secondly, the reviewer says the book lacks the depth and details of other books on the topic; I don't mention the name of the land from which the Pilgrims came and that even though in my author's note I say this first harvest feast lasted three days, I only address the first day in the book. Therefore, the reviewer concludes the book is clearly intended for the very young. In fact, that is the exact target audience, as stated on the cover flap (ages 3–6). I am left wondering why the review wasn't written with that in mind from the start.

My goal in writing The Very First Thanksgiving Day was to give young children a lyrical, enjoyable introduction to Thanksgiving. I am confident that children, parents, teachers, and librarians will delight in the book and discover this for themselves. Rhonda Gowler Greene West Bloomfield, MI

Your distress about my changing the term "huge stone" with its superior lyric qualities (not to mention its rhyming with "unknown") to "big rock" is understandable. But the designation in the review was not meant to signify a quote from the book but rather a reference to the more commonly known name for the sight: Plymouth Rock. Also, I don't believe that details such as where the Pilgrims sailed from or where they landed are beyond the understanding of preschoolers. As someone who works in school and public libraries, I know that good holiday books, even for the very young, are always welcome. However, I felt that this one, beyond some pretty pictures and simple rhymes, was not an essential addition.
--Jody McCoy, Librarian The Bush School Seattle, WA

An April 2000 SLJ article was incorrectly cited in "Learning Quarterly" (February 2003, p. 8). The correct title of the article by Christine Hamilton-Pennell, Keith Curry Lance, et al, is "Dick and Jane Go to the Head of the Class ."