I study digital archives and am interested the impediment that copyright law and archivists’ interpretation of it pose to scholarly research using digital materials. I worked as a project manager to digitize a collection of AIDS research papers and in the process had to attempt to contact over 1500 different copyright holders to get permission to put their items online. Most rights holders who responded had no problem granting permission…in fact, the biggest obstacle to getting permission was non-response. Can archives really afford to go about responding to copyright law in this way? What might the effect of such practices be on scholarship? I’m hoping to engage humanists in a discussion of the ramifications of copyright law on digitization projects that could be key in fostering digital humanities.
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I’m interested in this topic too, from the similar perspective of managing digitization projects and training Michigan public libraries to evaluate the copyright status of their local history materials.
A big part of the situation, I think, is that libraries (and archives and museums) tend to be very risk-averse. I don’t mean that as a criticism because considering how cultural heritage endeavors are funded, it’s pretty much to be expected that we’re very cautious about exposing our parent institutions to financial risk.
Another element is to what degree scholars (now or in the future) limit themselves to what they can access online, by choice or by necessity. The materials that can’t be digitized do still exist in a collection somewhere.
Ruth, that’s a great point. As more things are “born digital” however, there may be no other option for access.
Yes, I referred to the problem of copyright for born-digital materials in my own session description.
(It’s Ruth Ann, by the way, not Ruth.)
Oops, sorry!
Sorry, everyone, but I won’t be able to make it to the camp. Have a great time!
sorry that you won’t be coming, but I completely understand. Best of luck dealing with stuff.