Q. Can I request a Media Coordinator make a copy of a video for use in the classroom?
A. No. You must purchase the video in the format you wish. Only the copyright holder has the right to reproduce the video.
Instead, you could:
- Request that the library purchase the DVD to add to the collection.
- See if our Discovery Education Video subscription has content that can fill your need.
Q. Can I ask a Media Coordinator to record a program being broadcast so that I may use it in classroom instruction?
A. Off-air broadcasts may be shown in the classroom within 10 consecutive school days after airing. After this time period, the broadcast will need to be purchased.
Q. Doesn’t the doctrine of “Fair Use” allow me to use and reproduce materials for educational use?
A. “Fair Use” is limited in scope and not clear cut. You are only allowed to use a small portion of material for instructional purpose.
Q. Can I show a movie for a school movie night or for entertainment purposes if admission is not being charged?
A. No. However, the Vermont Department of Libraries has negotiated a contract with Public Performance Motion Picture License and CVU Library has signed up for the license.
Q. I know a student who struggles with reading. Wouldn’t it be acceptable to scan in a textbook the class is reading so that the student could use text-to-speech software and have the digital text “read aloud” by a computer?
A. No. In this scenario, you would be making a reproduction of the textbook in its entirety, and this certainly would not fall under Fair Use.
Instead, the school could purchase an electronic version of the book.
Q. I have a learning disability and accommodations written in my Individualized Educational Plan state I may access text in audio format. Can’t other students read the text aloud and make a recording for me? What about Talking Books offered through the National Library Service?
A. Even if your accommodations state you may access reading materials in audio format, this does not give school personnel permission to break copyright law, (which making an audio recording of the book would).
Instead, you could:
- Request the school purchase the book in audio format.
- Access ListenUp! Vermont, a subscription of digital audiobooks for CVU library patrons to download (with your student ID number).
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped offers braille and audiobooks to eligible patrons. Unfortunately, that eligibility is narrowly defined to those who cannot read because of a physical limitation.