Examples Illustrating Columbia University Libraries’ Policy on Publication and Digital Reproduction for Research and Scholarly Purposes


  • Example: Reproductions Made by Library User
    Researcher visits CUL and makes photocopies of some materials at copying machines in the library. She checks out other books and makes high-resolution images of some materials at home or elsewhere. She makes additional copies in connection with teaching or a conference presentation. The user is responsible for determining whether the works are copyrighted and whether these uses are permissible. The user is responsible for any copyright infringements. The user is responsible for inquiring if the uses are consistent with any contractual or other obligation that may apply, for example, to materials found in databases or in special collections.
  • Example: Reproductions Made by CUL
    Researcher identifies an art image in a book in the CUL collections and requests that the library make a photographic image of it. The library may set fees for the services. The library may make and deliver the copy only if the library is satisfied that the library’s services are permitted under law and if the work may be copied without undue damage. The user is responsible for any possible copyright infringements related to subsequent uses of the image that she may make (e.g., including it in teaching materials or a publication, or posting it to a website).
  • Example: Non-Scholarship Use of Materials
    User of the CUL collections identifies and requests an image as in the preceding example, but would like to use it in connection with a non-scholarly product or activity, whether undertaken for profit or as part of a nonprofit organization (e.g., museum or government agency). Such uses are outside the scope of this policy, and the library may enter into an appropriate individual arrangement with the user. Examples of such uses include: Images placed on commercial products and materials used in connection with a studio motion picture.
  • Example: Use of Materials not Copyrighted by Columbia University
    Researcher uses the books or online resources of CUL and finds photographs, text, and other materials that she would like to include in a scholarly book. If Columbia is not the copyright owner of the materials, CUL will not charge publication fees for use of the materials. If a third party is the copyright owner, the user is responsible for identifying the contacting the copyright owner and securing any necessary permission. For this policy statement, a book is “scholarly” if it has the primary purpose of informing or educating readers, even if the publisher is operating for profit, or if the publisher and author receive income or other financial reward from the book.
  • Example: Use of Materials Copyrighted by Columbia University
    Researcher is using the collections of CUL and finds reports, journals, and other materials produced by Columbia University and apparently copyrighted by the university. CUL may direct the user to the appropriate university office that may have management of those copyrighted works. That office may independently set standards and fees for the use of the materials. Columbia sometimes holds the copyright in certain works, usually because Columbia is the author, or because Columbia received a transfer of the copyright.
  • Example: Contractual Obligations and Manuscript Collections
    Researcher is using the archival collections of the Rare Books & Manuscript Library, and would like to reprint excerpts or images from the collections in a scholarly book. Even if Columbia is not the copyright owner, the library may have a contractual obligation to the donor of the collection to set some limits on use of the materials. Users should consult with librarians responsible for the collections.
  • Example: Extraordinary Services from CUL
    Researcher is preparing a detailed study of the works of an architect and is relying heavily on extraordinary services of Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library to find materials and to prepare them for publication. The library may make an individual agreement with the researcher, publisher, or other user of the materials that sets fees and conditions on the use in exchange for services from the library staff.
  • Example: Acknowledgement to CUL
    Researcher makes extensive uses of the CUL collections while preparing a new scholarly book. If the book includes reprints of materials from CUL, a reference to the “C.V. Starr East Asian Library of Columbia University” or other specific library as the source of an individual reprint is consistent with good scholarship.
  • Example: Acknowledgement to CUL
    Professor is preparing teaching materials and has found a variety of pictures and others materials from one of the digital collections maintained by CUL. Professor should include a statement that the physical materials are from a specific library, and that the digital surrogates are from a specific online resource. Such attributions are appropriate for most such uses, whether as part of paper handouts or online services for students (such as Blackboard or CourseWorks).