We are hosting the Virginia Baptist Library Association (VBLA) Fall Conference at our church - Temple Baptist Church, Newport News - on October 15 & 16, 2010...y'all come! :)
We would like to offer a workshop on how to build a CD/DVD collection in your library, and I'd like some advice regarding copyright rules, etc.
Our library has 150+ CDs and about 100 DVDs - many VHS but we are phasing those out. We pay for the CVLI license each year, so we feel like we are obeying the copyright rules.
What I'm looking for is some sort of handout that we can give to those attending the conference that would be helpful to them in setting up a CD/DVD collection in their church library. Does anyone know of such a thing?
Beth Maxwell
Replies
Decide what types of materials you want to add - what is worth spending your money on and worth using library space on? Decide how you will limit the types so you don't get overwhelmed with donations.
For CDs: Music? church sermons? audio books? Everything?
For DVDs: Movies? Instructional DVDs? Music videos?
And what about age ranges: Kids' DVDs are very popular in our library, but so are adult-level movies. And all of those Adventures in Odyssey and Focus on the Family RAdio Theatre CDs are very popular as well.
I suggest you survey your patrons to find out what they most want to use. Create a questionnaire and ask them all of the questions you've wondered about, instead of trying to read their minds.
Decide how you will categorize the CDs -
like books with a Fiction and a nonfiction section?
What about music?
Will sermon CDs go in Nonfiction or a separate section?
DVD categories:
We started out with Fiction and Nonfiction categories/call numbers (for adults), but finally changed it to Movies and Teaching, because you can have a true story that is dramatized, like Amazing Grace. Where does that go: fiction or nonfiction?
We decided to keep all kids' DVDs in one category and just assign call numbers based on the series they are in so all BibleMan items are together. If a DVD is a stand-alone item, then the first 3 letters of the title is in its call number.
Finally, decide how you will deal with damaged discs, because it will definitely happen with CDs and DVDs. We first try to clean the disc well and then see if it plays all right - usually, it does. But if not, and more than a minute or two of material is lost, we ask the patron to pay a replacement fee.
I hope this helps!
I'm not clear on what you're asking for. Are you asking about copyright law regarding loaning out audio-visual materials to individual/family patrons for home use, or using them for church use? Or are you asking for suggestions on processing them for library loaning? Or using copies of the artwork for bulletin boards, displays, etc.?
If you are buying/renewing the license, ask the person who renews this (choir director or technical dept.?) what rights it gives the church.
Very generally speaking, buying or borrowing a DVD does not give you permission to show it for entertainment purposes at church, unless you have purchased the rights to do so, or the rights are implied - like a DVD that comes with a VBS kit or a small group study kit. But in that case, it isn't usually "entertainment" per se, - it's part of an educational program of some kind and the rights to show it would be during the time frame of the event or study period, or possibly ahead of time to promote the event (clips) or as a follow-up. It may not be shown as a fund raiser of any kind unless you've gotten permission or bought the rights to do so. In a classroom situation, a teacher or leader can usually show a DVD (or segments) if it is part of the lesson ("Fair Use" guidelines).
I would suggest you also contact a library professional (perhaps the director, etc.) at a public library and consult with them. They probably have someone on staff (at larger or regional libraries) who has the expertise or has reference sources they can refer you to for specific situations, since they also loan out materials to groups. It's a very tricky legally, so anything you are putting in writing to hand out be sure you have a source cited (or reputable websites listed) and get the most current information you can. Put a date on your brochure. You might also have a denominational source of legal advice - your pastor or church staff may have that contact info.