Recently Asked Questions (RAQs)

A school district public library is considering installing closed-circuit cameras and thinking of enabling sound recordings, too. Is it legal to record sound, thinking it is a violation of patron privacy? Can board members review the tapes?

[We got a question from an academic library...]

I have a question about using copyrighted materials in my classes.

A few years ago, I purchased and listened to the audio version of a Great Course called "[NAME REDACTED TO AVOID COMPLICATIONS]." Each lecture is about 30 minutes and I thought they would make a great weekly assignment in my "[NAME OF CLASS ALSO REDACTED]" class. I would have students listen to a lecture and then focus their discussion around it.

My question is, what legal ways can I share these lectures with students? I have purchased the video series at thegreatcourses.com (for $29.95). I know I can't take a screen recording of them and post on YouTube public, but could I take a screen recording and post in Brightspace? That way, they would not be able to disseminate it or access it beyond the end of the course."

PS "Brightspace" is course software (Like "BlackBoard")

We are revising our Meeting Room Policy. Currently we have a group of seniors who meet at our library for [really healthy] exercise in the morning before the library is open. They have been doing this for about [many] years. As we know the participants very well and they want to meet before the library is open, we have allowed them to come into the building when it is not officially open.

There is no staff on duty. They open and lock up when finished. This has been a wonderful service we can provide our seniors in a rural community where there are very few options for group gatherings. We would like to keep this practice in place.

However, as we discuss the meeting room policy, we realize that we would not be comfortable with having other groups be in the library when we were not open to the public with staff present.

Can we write our policy to allow this group to continue with the current practice, yet limit other groups to only use the meeting room when the library is open.

Is there professional insurance for librarians? Given the book-banning lawsuits, do librarians and library workers need additional insurance to cover possible lawsuits? Other states have passed laws fining library workers $10,000. Besides the library's D and O insurance, do librarians and library workers need additional insurance coverage?