The Librarian Stance?

Over the past couple of days I've been reading quite a bit about copyright law, fair use, public domain--all aspects of the last paper for LIS 2000. Whew....if the copyright information doesn't make a person a little crazy, I don't honestly know what could. I have to say one thing the information does clarify for me--it is the professional stance of my friend Bev, our former school librarian. We are dear friends, but I've always thought her a little on the militant side. After my reading, I realize that librarians have a huge, serious responsibility connected to the First Amendment. It is the job of librarians to protect and provide access to all information for all citizens. Granted in a school setting, some materials are inappropriate for specific age groups. I can see and feel that this is a weighty charge. The legal issues connected to copyrights are daunting and complex. I can see how a naive, in-experienced librarian could get into BIG trouble by making careless, uninformed decisions. So far in my teaching career, I've managed to avoid getting myself into any real dilemmas. I hope that as I take on the role of school librarian, my good fortune continues.