International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development

Authors
Smt. Meenakskhi S. Patil, Dr. Yogesh Kumar Atri

Abstract
Legal issues present important and unusual challenges for academic librarians. Despite the ways in which legal regimes such as free speech, intellectual property protection, privacy, and contract law often shape library practice, few librarians may have substantial graduate-level training in this area. As a result, decisions with legal implications are often made (particularly by front-line librarians) with an incomplete understanding of the nuanced issues involved. To support day-to-day operations, many libraries generate policies— “framework[s] within which individuals can exercise judgment” —for library practice within specific legal areas. Establishing best practices for interpreting and adhering to copyright law is especially difficult in the context of electronic reserves (e-reserves) services.