Planning Ahead
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was created in 1992 to pay tribute to the generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. ► read more...
Also in May: Jewish American Heritage Month and Children’s Book Week
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From the Blog
New for February at EDSITEment
This month EDSITEment celebrates the Chinese New Year. February 14 ushers in the new year and the coming of spring. Engage students with a dragon parade or follow the Great Wall of China. ► read more...
Featured Library: Drake Community Library
Some libraries unintentionally tailor all of their programming to one age demographic, but Drake Community Library in Iowa has been successfully coordinating programs for children and adults alike. ► read more...
Feature
Copyright Tips for Programming Librarians: Public Performance Rights
Many librarians like to include film or DVD screenings in their library programs. Can you do this without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder? It depends. In general, public performance rights (PPR) are necessary for any screening that does not take place in the face-to-face classroom or is not a key element necessary to meet a teaching objective in an online or digital course offered by a non-profit educational institution. Because the performance of a motion picture is a primary way that motion picture companies generate revenue, the rules around PPR tend to be strict. Thus, the exception to the exclusive right of public performance is narrow (see Section 110 of the copyright law for some fascinating reading). Even though your programming event has educational value, under the copyright law it does not fall into the restricted category of “non-profit, education.”
You have a few options, some straightforward and one more ambiguous and cautionary. The most straightforward option? Eliminate the film screening from your program. Alternatively, you can contact the rights holder and ask permission to screen the film at your programming event.
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Quote of the Week
Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.
—Lemony Snicket