Is It Protected by Copyright? Find out with the ALA's Copyright Guide Slide-Chart!

Copyright laws are complex and can be confusing!  Is a work in the public domain? Do you need permission to use it?  When does copyright expire?  Find these answers and more at your fingertips with this handy, compact Copyright Slider created by the Office For Information Technology Policy.  This single, sturdy product provides instant access to copyright laws and guidelines.  Simply align the arrows by date of publication and determine a work’s copyright status and term.  And the  "Permission Needed?" box provides a quick answer to this very important question.
This is a great tool for librarians, teachers, artists, students, researchers, attorneys and anyone who needs clear, concise information on copyright terms and conditions.

Here is an example of how the slide-chart works:
A library is rural Pennsylvania is digitizing its local historical collection on the copper mining industry in the region.  One of the collection’s text, Memoirs of a Copper Miner, was published in 1953 and is still protected by copyright.  Or is it?  Align the black arrow on the slide-chart to materials published between 1923 and 1963 and discover that works originally published in the US between 1923 and 1977 without a copyright symbol are in the public domain!!  Memoirs of a Copper Miner was published in 1953 and does not have a copyright symbol.  Let the digitizing begin!

The ALA Copyright Guide Slide-Chart is an easy, important resource to have at your fingertips!  Simple to use, the slide-chart packs a book’s worth of information into a single, heavy-duty cardboard tool that fits easily into a desk drawer, laptop case or book bag.  Forget searching through a book full of confusing, convoluted information – just align the arrows and get answers to your copyright questions!
E-mail Carrie Russell at crussell@alawash.org to get more information about purchasing a slider.

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