FAQs

• Do I need permission to use something I found on a website within my course LMS (BlackBoard, etc.)?

  Always assume that material on a website is copyrighted, unless it is specifically labeled copyright-free. Use of a limited portion of the copyrighted material for your course LMS is appropriate if it also meets the fair use guidelines. You should also attribute the source. If you continue to use the same Web resource in subsequent semesters, permission should be requested. It may be that the web material is licensed by the NYU Libraries and therefore can be used under specified conditions. (Use the Article Linker on the Library website). For posting items on NYU Blogs please see terms of use document. Blogs Terms of USE.

• Can I place an entire book, journal, video or CD on my course web page?

  Use of an entire book, journal, video or CD is not within the principles of fair use, unless it is in the public domain or part of the the Library's licensed resources. Otherwise, faculty members must obtain copyright permissions from the publisher in order to include a complete work on Blackboard, or another password-protected course web page. As an alternative, the library will place books, videos, DVDs and CDs on reserve at the library for course use.
  

• Can I scan or copy an article found in a printed journal in the Library and post it on my course LMS (BlackBoard, etc.)?

  Before going to the trouble of scanning a print article, make sure it is not available from the Library in digital form. [Use the Article Linker on the Library website] If the article is not available electronically, you may post the article to the course LMS (Blackboard etc) for a limited amount of time. If you wish to use the article repeatedly as reading for the class, you should seek permission.

• I want to distribute some selected readings for my class not included in the textbook. What are my options for making these readings available? Is there any limit to how much of the readings I can use?

  As a rule of thumb, you may copy a limited percentage (approximately 10%) of the book as a PDF (or other digital file) for your course. This would typically meet the guidelines for fair use. If you continue to use the PDF materials in subsequent semesters for the same course, you'll need to request permissions or consider creating a course pack. Alternately, you may request the entire book be placed on reserve at the library. If a requested book is not in the library's collection, the library will order it.

• I would like to include art images and photographs on my course LMS. Are there any image collections I can use without violating copyright?

  Access to a growing number of good-quality image databases has been licensed by NYU Libraries for NYU students and faculty:. The terms of the licenses generally allow downloading and use of images in password-protected course websites (such as Blackboard) for review and study purposes. They may also be used for classroom instruction and related activities including handouts, presentations, research, and student assignments. Additional uses may be allowed under individual licenses, such as cropping, manipulating color, as long as appropriate credit lines are used.

• I'm having trouble linking to an article I found in an e-journal. Can I just download the PDF and place it on my course LMS?

  The Library always attempts to get the broadest academic rights when licensing e-resources. Our recommendation is that you create persistent links to e-journal content, rather than download PDFs. For information on creating persistent links
  
  

• May I copy an image from materials in the Library and use it in a scholarly article for publication?

  No, the right to publish the image in a publication is retained by the copyright holder and permission should be sought. For images that have been licensed by the Library for use, click here

• What are my options for using copyrighted video or audio?

  The Library has licensed a number of audio and video collections for use in research and teaching. For information on creating durable links, click here. If the audio or video you wish to use is not available in one of these collections, you may use a limited number of excerpts for reserve purposes, as long as the original video or sound recording was legally obtained.
  

  
  

  
  Avery Fisher Center
  The Avery Fisher Center will assist in preparing portions of video or recorded sound from the Library's collection for reserves. The Avery Fisher Center can assist in identifying copyright owners for audio and video. For information about the Avery Fisher Center please click here .

  
  

  
  Digital Studio
  The Digital Studio offers resources for instructors to capture selections of audio and video and make them available in various formats. As an example, a DVD can be created from various formats of video to show selected excerpts to students in your class. For information on services at the Digital Studio and requesting an appointment please click here.
  

  
  

  
  Streaming
  If you wish to make video and audio excerpts available within your course LMS, you may want to make the clips available for streaming. A media file that is streamed from a server is not downloaded; only streaming data is sent to the user. Media clips are not retained by the user. Streaming video and audio excerpts within your course LMS is usually considered fair use. As a general matter, streaming copyright restricted media can be posted for class use for only one semester. Please see the Digital Studio for information on creating streaming media and requesting an appointment.
  

• What does the Teach Act allow me to do?

  The TEACH Act expands rights to display works and make copies for use in distance education. Click the North Carolina State University TEACH Toolkit for more information.
  
  

• What is a coursepack? How do I create one?

  If you know in advance that a course you are teaching will require a number of journal articles, individual book chapters or other materials and you want to require students to read or otherwise use such materials, you must create a coursepack. For information on creating coursepacks at NYU please see: http://www.bookstores.nyu.edu/faculty.services/course.packs.html