Copyright for Librarians: free and useful training

Please note that this post is from 2010. Evaluate with care and in light of later events.

Copyright for Librarians is a useful resource for anyone–not just librarians–to learn about the current state of copyright law.

It’s a joint project of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL), a consortium of libraries from 50 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.

The training course is aimed at librarians in developing countries, but most of the information is based on U.S. copyright law for the time being. According to the “objectives” on the site, it seeks to provide training on:

• copyright law in general
• the aspects of copyright law that most affect libraries
• how librarians in the future could most effectively participate in the processes by which copyright law is interpreted and shaped.

Even though the training materials are intended for librarians, the site provides a useful background for anyone interested in copyright law. Recommended.