Copyright guidance at an academic library is often provided at the nexus of the law, University policy, and the personal and professional values of the librarians and users involved in the decision making. An institution’s tolerance for risk (or lack-thereof) can create tension with librarians’ value systems. The law is often vague, leaving lots of room for differences of interpretation between University administrators, librarians, and users. Professional values, like the ones articulated by the ACRL Framework generally align with enhancing/supporting user’s rights and tend towards a copyleft point of view. Institutional risk tolerance complicates decision making further – higher levels of risk are generally accepted with research and teaching endeavours. Risk is often less acceptable when it comes to compliance with the law (like the Copyright Act). Lack of clarity in the law and institutional risk tolerance can be at odds with professional values, which can confuse users and can undermine librarians providing guidance. This session will provide an overview of a framework I'm exploring for copyright decision making, with an open invitation to discuss how folks handle this issue at their institutions.
