Law Libraries & Technology a Practical Guide

Libraries are continuing to evolve as a result of the dual pressures of technology and user access. The new digital media forms are enabling librarians to find new methods of information delivery. Libraries and librarians need to be aware of the legal ramifications of the new technologies that are available. This book provides an authoritative and practical guide to the subject. Despite the negative prognosis for libraries during the early 1990s in the face of digital technology, libraries have proved to be surprisingly resilient, and have begun the long process of incorporating digital technologies into their service. The legal ramifications, however, always need to be considered. This book does just that. Key Features include: Deals with the important and topical ramifications of the law and digital media, with specific focus on the impact upon - and the future role of - libraries; It provides an accessible but theoretical base that gradually builds into a practical guide for copyright law and the role of technology in libraries; It provides analysis of all of the current and future technologies and the legal implications; Is written from a highly knowledgeable and well-respected practitioner in the field; and most of the books written on the topic have been written from a US perspective only; this book provides a European and British perspective. The author Mark Van Hoorebeek works at Derby University, researching the general areas of Intellectual Property Law and Cyberspace law. His interest fields include the interplay between libraries, the law and digital media. It is aimed at library staff of all levels and librarianship students. It is also for law practitioners and management staff. Contents include: Introduction - a brief history of technological influences on libraries, the role of libraries in society, and the aims and objectives of the book; What is copyright: an introduction to intellectual property rights (IPRs) - an introduction to law, an introduction to the intellectual property of intangible products and an introduction to copyright; European and American influence on intellectual property and library practices; Technological advances in media delivery and the resulting library development - use of VDU, use of catalogues, the Internet and the proposed death of libraries in the 1990s, use of e-books and publishing house strategies; and The impact of copyright on library practices - practical strategies for maximum utility of digital technologies, ISSN and archives and the battle for the commodification of copyrights. Also includes the future of information management, law and libraries - the next generation of technology, the role of planning for the future and conclusion.