Copyright and Course Reserves

The library adheres to US Copyright Law (Title 17 of the US Code). Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 addresses the concept of “Fair Use” which recognizes the needs of students and scholars to use copyrighted materials for educational purposes. The library considers the four Fair Use factors listed below when placing items on reserve:

• the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
• the nature of the copyrighted work;
• the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;
• the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyright work.

Instructors are responsible for obtaining permission of the copyright holder for materials that exceed fair use.

We also consider the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries, when placing materials on reserve.