Dean's Administrative Office

Electronic Reserves

This is the preferred method to deliver readings to your students. The Libraries manage copyright permissions and royalty payments for you. Requires some lead time, but reduces your workload and ensures copyright compliance. Information on electronic reserves is found at Course Reserves Services .

Linking to Library Resources

The Libraries license over 12,000 electronic journals and thousands of electronic books. You may, without permission, link to any of these resources to guide your students to course readings.

Creating Your Own PDF's

We strongly discourage you from scanning copyrighted content and urge the use of electronic reserves.

If you do scan content for course use, this activity is governed by the Fair Use provision of the copyright law (Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107). A helpful overview of fair use is available on Stanford University's website .

If you plan to use the same content in subsequent semesters, please utilize electronic reserves.

Section 110 of the copyright law specifically permits the screening of entire films (video/DVD) during a face-to-face class. Some restrictions apply.

• Content must be administered by the instructor (or student giving a presentation);
• Content must be related to the course;
• Copy of the film must be legal (no illegal copies/bootlegs);
• Only enrolled members of the class may be present.

This last provision is why you may NOT open class film screenings to the public. Please see Classroom Media Guidelines for more information concerning videos and public performances.

Penn State licenses over 12,000 electronic journals and 500 databases for the educational, nonprofit use of Penn State faculty, staff, students, and visitors who are present in our buildings.

Our use of this material is governed by individual license agreements with the publishers of the content. The terms of use may be more restrictive than rights granted under copyright law.

Some rules of thumb:

• You may not download large amounts of material from any electronic library resources.  How much is too much? A couple of articles are fine, five hundred an hour is excessive. Use your common sense. This activity is:
  • A violation of our license;
  • A violation of copyright law;
  • Stealing;
  • Can result in the loss of access for all of Penn State, and the revocation of the perpetrator's personal access account.
• You may not use a robot, spider, or other computer program to systematically search or data min any licensed library resource. This is also a violation of our licenses, and can be disruptive to the publisher's ability to provide access to the content.
• You may use these resources to conduct research and to use as readings for your courses.

If you have any question about permitted uses of any electronic journal or database, please contact er_help@psulias.psu.edu .

Angel course sites are created for a number of reasons. Two such purposes are:

• To deliver material that you would perform or display during a face-to-face class session;
• To deliver required or supplemental materials that you expect your students to read or view outside of class.

Face-to Face Teaching

• May apply the TEACH Act, which addresses the delivery of digital visual materials through content management software.
  • May digitize and perform entire non-dramatic, literary or musical works (ex. an orchestra playing a work, faculty lecture)
  • May digitize and perform reasonable and limited portions of dramatic literary and musical works (ex. feature film, opera, dramatic educational film)
  • May only digitize the work if:
    • No digital version of the work already is available
    • The digital work is protected by digital rights management or anti-copying software.
• Fair use - use to consider what works and how much of those works can be copied only. May be used in conjunction with TEACH.

Supplemental/required material for out of class review

• Must rely on fair use - TEACH is not applicable
• For readings, please utilize electronic reserves whenever possible.

For additional information about the TEACH Act and other copyright issues at TEACH Act Information .

Questions? Please contact Becky Albitz , Electronic Resources and Copyright Librarian.

Dean's Administrative Office
The Pennsylvania State University
University Libraries
510 Paterno Library
University Park, PA  16802-1812
814-865-0401
814-865-3665 (fax)