Deans of Five Academic Libraries in Virginia Send Letter to House Judiciary Chairman Re: Revision of U.S. Copyright Law

From the Introduction to a Backgrounder About Rewrite of U.S. Copyright Law (Section 108)/Reasons For Letter (approx. 1800 words) by Brandon Butler, University of Virginia

The Copyright Office is poised to issue a total rewrite of Section 108 of the Copyright Act, which protects library and archives’ copying for preservation and research. Libraries and archives have said they do not want this, but the Office seems to be determined to do it. So, a group of Deans and Directors of Virginia university libraries has sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to ensure he realizes the controversy and context that surrounds the Office’s proposed changes. If you are a concerned library or librarian, consider writing your representative, especially if they sit on the Judiciary Committee.

Read The Letter
Direct to Letter Sent to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
2  pages; PDF.
The Letter is Signed by:

• Carrie Lynn Cooper, Dean of University Libraries
  College of William & Mary

• John E. Ulmschneider, University Librarian
  Virginia Commonwealth University

• John M. Unsworth, University Librarian and Dean of Libraries
  University of Virginia

• John Zenelis, Dean of Libraries and University Librarian
  George Mason University Libraries

• Tyler Walters, Dean of University Libraries
  Virginia Tech

See Also: U.S. Copyright Office Publishes “Draft Revision of the Library and Archives Exceptions in U.S. Copyright Law” (Section 108)
June 6, 2015. Includes embed of draft.
See Also: U.S. House Judiciary Committee Web Site

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Archives and Special Collections, Libraries, News, Preservation