Many librarians, teachers, and even administrators are trying to stay connected with their students during this time of school closures. It is important to remember that schools are still responsible for remaining in compliance with copyright even though the events of these last couple weeks have been chaotic for us all. This Smore is a curated list of resources that will allow you navigate these muddy waters of copyright and do the right thing when it comes to reading to students online.
The School Library Journal article below sums it up well, "What we do know is that storytime online or in person is a “public performance,” an exclusive right of the copyright holder." It also offers this advice when determining if reading online is crossing the copyright line:
"We can make this determination in a structured way by considering the four factors of fair use:
- the purpose and character of your use
- the nature of the copyrighted work
- the amount and substantiality of the portion taken, and
- the effect of the use upon the potential market
Making this decision should not be a burden in any sense of the word—it is a measured, reasonable judgment call."
All-in-all, use your best judgement. If you are sharing the story on a closed system such as Google Meet where only your class has access to see the performance, then the risk is minimal. Facebook live would be another story because more people would have access to that.
We hope that the resources below help you to make good choices for your students and model the ethical behavior that we want them to exhibit with regard to copyright. Remember, we want kids reading and talking about books. Instead of reading out loud to them, maybe have them read and then everyone gets together virtually to have a discussion about what everyone is reading. Check back often as we will update this Smore as we receive updated information.
