Library Copyright Policies
View the complete Ithaca College Copyright Policy
Frequently Asked Questions by Department
Archives & Special Collections
I'd like to show videos from the Archives at an event/in class. What do I have to do?
- The event must be curricular or co-curricular and have an educational component.
- No admission may be charged for the event.
- For a co-curricular event, the faculty advisor needs to sign a letter indicating that it is an educational event.
- You will need to fill out our circulation request form.
I'd like photocopies of an item.
- The availability of photocopies depends on the physical condition of the item as well as its copyright and access status.
- Copies of items in the Rod Serling Archives require permission from Carol Serling.
- Availability of copies of College records depends on agreements made with the depositing office and projected use of the copies, as well as our interpretation of the fair use section of copyright law.
- Fragile materials may not be photocopied.
I'd like to put one of your photographs on my web site/in my publication.
In general, publication of our photographic collection is limited to official use by the College. Please discuss your needs with the Archivist.
Questions regarding copyright and archives may be directed to Bridget Bower, College Archivist, (607) 274-3096.
Course Reserves
Book/article copies may be placed on reserve for research/teaching purposes depending on:
- The amount of material being copied
- The purpose of its use, and the nature of the copyrighted work
- Any potential effects on the market.
More information on Fair Use guidelines may be found on the U.S. Copyright Office Web Site
Can I place multiple chapter copies from a book on electronic reserve?
The library will place up to 10% of a book on electronic reserve. If more than 10% is required, the faculty member must contact the publisher to obtain written permission. This must be submitted when them item is given to the library for placement on reserve.
Can I place a student paper on reserve/electronic reserve?
As long as you obtain written permission from the student first.
If I can't obtain permission, can't I just obscure the student's name and place it on reserve/electronic reserve?
Permission would still need to be obtained since it is still the work of a student.
Can I put a text book on reserve if my textbook order didn't arrive by the start of classes?
Promotional copies of textbooks sent to faculty by publishers cannot be placed on course reserve. A purchased copy of a textbook may be placed on reserve until the order arrives.
I am the author of a journal article/book. Can I make copies of my own work either in paper format or electronically?
Check with your publisher. Authors sometimes sign their rights over to the publisher when submitting material for publication.
I am teaching the same course next semester. Can I just leave all of my reserves/electronic reserves on for the following semester?
Please submit a new reserve list, and indicate which items have already been on reserve. The library will then check them for copyright compliance.
I requested a book through interlibrary loan. Can I place that item on reserve?
Materials from other libraries are not accepted for reserve. If you need materials for reserve that the Ithaca College Library does not own, you may request that we order them through your Library liaison.
Other helpful information:
At the request of a faculty member, the Library may photocopy and place on reserve (paper or electronic) excerpts from copyrighted works in its collections. In general, Library staff may photocopy or digitize materials for reserve use for the convenience of students both in preparing class assignments and in pursuing informal educational activities which higher education requires, such as advanced independent study and research. Access to electronic reserves is restricted to the Ithaca College network via a course specific user name and password.
The Library may photocopy an entire article, or an entire chapter from a book (not to exceed 10% of the entire work), or an entire poem. If faculty need more than 10% of a book on reserve/electronic reserve, the library will attempt to get copyright permission from the Copyright Clearance Center. Obtaining copyright permission depends on if the publisher has pre-approved the work for reserve/electronic reserve, and, the cost of the permission. This actual cost may depend on the number of students enrolled in the class, the amount of material being placed on reserve/electronic reserve, and fees set by the publisher. Fees can range anywhere from $50.00 to hundreds of dollars per item.
The Library reserves the right to refuse to place items on reserve that do not comply with the copyright law, such as reproductions of entire books or entire issues of journals or course packs or other anthologies a faculty member has compiled, where permissions have not been obtained.
When articles are requested for more than one semester, faculty must contact the publisher to obtain permission for continued use for non-library owned material.
All material reproduced by the Library must include notification of compliance with the U.S. Copyright Law.
Questions regarding copyright may be directed to Ben Hogben, Access Services Manager, (607) 274-1689.
Multi-Media
May I use off-air recordings in the classroom?
Yes, under the guidelines developed by the Kastenmeier Committee, off-air recordings may be shown to students once during the first 10 consecutive school days after the initial recording. During that time it may be repeated once for instructional reinforcement. In this case, "school days" refer to school session days, not counting weekends, holidays, vacations, examination periods, and other scheduled interruptions. The recording may be kept no more than 45 calendar days from the recording date and may only be viewed by the faculty for evaluation purposes after the first 10 school days.
Can I put these materials on reserve at Media Services?
Materials may be copied on home video recorders and placed on reserve as long as the material adheres to the guidelines discussed above. When submitting these items for reserve, please label the tapes with the broadcast network and the recording date.
Under what conditions can I show a video to a class of students?
In-classroom performance of a copyrighted video is permissible under the following conditions:
- The performance is by instructors (including guest lecturers) or by pupils.
- The class is part of the regular curriculum.
- The performance is in connection with face-to-face teaching activities.
- The entire audience is involved in the teaching activity.
- The entire audience is in the same room or same general area.
- The teaching activities are conducted by a non-profit educational institution.
- The performance takes place in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction, such as a school library, gym, auditorium or workshop.
- The video is lawfully made; the person responsible had no reason to believe that the video was unlawfully made.
Can I borrow a video from the Media Center for use in a program sponsored by a student group or a residence unit, or for use in connection with similar academic projects and programs outside of the classroom?
Yes, if the title has been purchased by the library with public performance rights and if there are no license conditions prohibiting such use and if the intended use is educational and non-profit in nature.
The cinema works in the collection generally do not have public performance rights, and may not be borrowed for use outside the classroom except for private home use.
May a community discussion group view a videotape without securing permission from the copyright owner?
No. The group does not consist of class members enrolled in a non-profit institution, nor is it engaged in formal instructional activities of such an institution. The group must ask for the permission of the copyright owner in order to view the tape. Multi-Media materials are never loaned for use off-campus or to individuals or groups not affiliated with the college.
Can I place video materials which I have rented or purchased on reserve?
Yes, Multi-Media Services will accept these materials for use in connection with the teaching activities of a specific class, on the assumption that use of these materials constitutes a logical and necessary extension of classroom teaching. Prerecorded materials which have been illegally copied will not under any condition be accepted for reserve use.
Can a duplicate copy be made of commercially-produced video which has gone out of print, is difficult to obtain on the commercial market, or is in danger of physical disintegration?
No, generally, the right to duplicate video materials, including the right to make transfers from one format to another, must be secured from the copyright holder.
Can I have a film that is in the "public domain" transferred to videotape to show in the classroom more conveniently?
Yes, public domain materials may be legally copied or transferred from one format to another. Unfortunately, it is often extremely difficult to determine the copyright status of particular works. Copying may be done only if: (1) the copyright has expired and has not been renewed (2) no individual elements of the film (music, literary basis of the film, etc) were copyrighted separately and are still protected by the law (3) the version of the film or video to be copied is the original work, not a colorized, restored, or otherwise altered version which may have been copyrighted as a new work. Often, an extensive search at the Copyright Office in Washington D.C. is necessary to determine the "public domain" status.
Is it permissible to make a copy of a rental video in order to use it again, later?
No. That would infringe on the rights licensed to the rental agency.
May I make a copy of a preview from a vendor because I don't have time to view it before the due date?
No; preview videos may not be copied. Ask the vendor for an extended preview period.
May I show a video requested as a preview from a vendor to my class?
No; this becomes a rental use and requires the higher rental fee to be paid.
May a videotape be made of a film that is out of print and/or deteriorating rapidly?
Although the film is out of print, permission of the copyright owner is nonetheless required. An exception is made for libraries to replace a work that is lost or damaged if another copy cannot be obtained at a fair price.
Questions regarding copyright and Multimedia may be directed to Kelly Merritt, Multi-Media Services Manager, (607) 274-3880.
