News and Advice on copyright issues for librarians and educators from School Library Journal.
Copyright and the DVD Dilemma By Judith C. Koss - 10/01/2009
Is it legal to copy a DVD onto my school district’s server? As general counsel for a company that publishes and distributes educational videos and sells video-on-demand servers that digitally deliver them to the classroom, I get that question from educators all the time. And the answer is: it depends.
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The Producers By Carrie Russell - 10/01/2009
We’ve been brainstorming about how to use Flip cameras in our library. One idea we came up with was to use them to make 30-second videos with well-known action figures, like Bella and Edward from the “Twilight” series. Would that be a copyright infringement? Also, we’d like to post the videos on our Web site.
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Sticky Standards: AASL requires permission to use 21st-C standards sparking backlash Lauren Barack - 08/01/2009
The American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) decision to require permission—and potentially a fee—to commercially use its Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (bit.ly/lWd9B) has generated ire among its members. “At first I was annoyed, but now getting mad,” posted librarian Beth Frise on Twitter.
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Standard Bearers: For AASL's standards, freedom needs to trump control Brian Kenney, Editor-in-Chief - 08/01/2009
Of the many debates that raged during last month’s American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago (a fantastically successful gathering by any measure) none were as virulent as those surrounding the use of the new Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (see “Sticky Standards,” p.
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A New Script: Can works of fiction be adapted for Readers' Theater? By Carrie Russell - 08/01/2009
As part of a program for young people, we’d like to adapt a children’s book for Readers’ Theater. The resulting script will be presented in a school or public library. I’ve come across a lot of helpful tips on how to transform a book into script, but I haven’t found anything on copyright issues.
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Tolkien’s Heirs Want Production of ‘The Hobbit’ Film Stopped By Rocco Staino - 07/28/2009
Will The Hobbit (Houghton, 1938) make it to the big screen? Not if the heirs of J.R.R Tolkien have it their way. Tolkien’s estate has filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Los Angeles that may block film production of the fantasy novel.
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J.K. Rowling Charged With Plagiarism—Again By Lauren Barack - 06/19/2009
Harry Potter’s being dragged into court again, this time by the estate of Adrian Jacobs, a British children’s book author who died in 1997. His family is suing J. K. Rowling’s British publisher Bloomsbury for plagiarism.
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SLJ Covers 2009 A bigger and better view of SLJ's covers from 2009
BookExpo America 2009: SLJ's Day of Dialog School Library Journal held a Day of Dialog in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America on May 28, 2009 at the Brooklyn Public Library. Full story: bit.ly/1a0G7o
2008 National Book Awards Nominees in the young people's literature category graced the red carpet on Awards night Nov. 20, 2008.
The Alvin Ho Collection, Books 1 & 2 (unabr). 4 CDs. 4 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape (library.booksontape.com). 2009. ISBN 978-0-7393-7997-4. $38. Gr 2-4–Alvin Ho, a quirky Asian-American second grader, is articulate at home but so afraid of school that he is unable to speak while he is there.
Clowning around at the second annual Atlantic City Free Public Library Family Fun Festival last weekend. About 2,500 people came out to enjoy the beautiful day and the many festivities, including an array of performances, face painting, poetry readings by local teens, games, and music.
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The Alvin Ho Collection, Books 1 & 2 (unabr). 4 CDs. 4 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape (library.booksontape.com). 2009. ISBN 978-0-7393-7997-4. $38. 
