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Alamo Area Library System
600 Soledad
San Antonio, TX 78205
210-207-2609 (Office)
210-207-2537 (Fax)
Library LawsNavigating around library laws can be tricky. While there are state and national laws cited on this page, everyone is highly urged to check with your local legal counsel before undertaking any legal action. Most cities and counties have legal counsel provided for them and that includes public libraries with the exception of non-profit 501(c)(3) libraries. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission oversees the state library laws for Texas here. Confidentiality laws of library records (Texas) are found here. More general library laws and legal issues that are in the news for the U.S. may be found at Library Laws.com. Intellectual freedom and censorship is an important topic in libraries concerning confidentiality, equal access to information and the freedom to read. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom is found here. ALA offers the Intellectual Freedom Manual (5th ed.) which can be ordered here. The Texas Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Handbook is a highly recommended resource for anyone looking for information library records, the materials reconsideration process or what to do when the censor comes. Additional information may be found at the Internet School Library Media Center. Copyright protects the intellectual property by an author or artist so that distribution of the property is controlled for a specific amount of time. Copyright law is complicated. No one should attempt to interpret copyright law without an attorney who specializes in copyright cases. The Copyright Clearance Center is a good place to find information as well as the U. S. Copyright Office. Library Law.com has a large site devoted to copyright and libraries specifically .
Another aspect of copyright concerning the use of audio/video products within the library is known as public performance rights. ALA’s Video and Copyright Fact Sheet is found here. Performance Rights for Copyrighted Videorecordings has a FAQ for librarians.
If you have questions concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act, try these sites: American Library Association’s Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy |
This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of
Museums and Library Services through the Texas State
Library and Archives Commission
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