[kids-lib] summer reading copyright?

Fri May 28 12:59:24 PDT 2010

Thanks Katie.  I am so glad we are having this discussion now (even
though it is SRC crunch time!)  Thank you all for sharing your knowledge
and perspective.  This arms our representatives to better support Oregon
Libraries.  I know I have been frustrated at the limitations in how we
produce reading logs, brochures, etc. for Salem Public Library.  In my
opinion, we would be so much better served if the artist's copyright
agreement included use of all Summer Reading Art by member libraries for
any summer reading related marketing materials (brochures, reading logs,
booklists, etc.) for the year in which the Artwork is featured, without
the vendor (Highsmith or another) controlling everything.
You are all fabulous!
Karen

Karen Fischer, 
Adult and Youth Services Manager
Salem Public Library
503-588-6039
kfischer at cityofsalem.net

>>> Katie Anderson <katie.anderson at state.or.us> 5/28/2010 12:32 PM >>>

Hello!  I just wanted to give you an update on the Rule of Use
discussion.  Esther, Paige, Heidi and I (your CSLP reps) have been
saving your feedback, and encourage you to continue the discussion
online so we can get more input from more Oregon librarians.  The four
of us have started discussing how to compile your feedback and use it to
start a discussion with other state representatives prior to the next
CSLP meeting.  Our hope is that other states will start collecting
feedback from their libraries to bring to the next CSLP meeting too. 
Then, we can approach the CSLP Executive Board together.  As Karen
Fischer said in an earlier email on this topic, we need to speak with a
united voice.

The better we understand the current Rules of Use the better we can
advocate for change.  Several comments have been made around who owns
the copyright.  Just to clarify, the introduction to the Rules of Use
state that the artists owns the copyright to their work, and the vendor
negotiates with the artists for exclusive use of their art for both CSLP
members and the vendor.  I also have a question out to the Chair of the
Rules of Use committee regarding the history around the Rules of Use,
and will let you know her answer as soon as I have it. If you have any
questions about the Rules of Use please let me know, if I don’t know the
answer I’ll ask the CSLP Rules of Use Chair.

If you aren’t comfortable participating in this conversation via the
listserv, but you would like contribute feedback for us to share with
CSLP please send a personal email to me at katie.anderson at state.or.us
and I’ll add it to the list.

Thank you,
Katie

Katie Anderson, Library Development Services
* Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301

katie.anderson at state.or.us, 503-378-2528

From:kids-lib-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
[mailto:kids-lib-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of
Campbell, Dana
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 11:52 AM
To: BOGART Debra S; BJ Toewe; kids-lib at listsmart.osl.state.or.us;
oyan at listsmart.osl.state.or.us; Katie Anderson
Subject: Re: [kids-lib] summer reading copyright?

Hi Everyone,

Been following the discussion and felt I might as well express my
thoughts, since it was me who brought CLSP to Oregon.

We actually joined the Collaborative the year I was the CSD chair and
looking for ways to save the Oregon Statewide Summer Reading
Program.Debra's year was the first full year of implementation in
Oregon.  I'm not sure how far we want to go back into the reasons we
joined CLSP but at the time we did, joining CLSP saved the Oregon
Statewide Summer Reading Program.  Prior to being a member of CLSP
Oregon had been originally been doing our own statewide manual which
required a lot of energy, time, travel and work and wasn't always the
best.  Then, during the time we were partnering with Metropolitan Group,
we had great art and materials which were  much more expensive, and
ended up with an enormous debt which took two years+ to resolve.  I
don't want to go back to those days.  This would mean taking a giant
step back in summer reading.

I am extremely disappointed to hear that Highsmith basically wants to
have a monopoly on anything CSLP.  I know that the company will use the
art again, at least a year later, for a more general reading promotion. 
Are they afraid that all of us are going to dig out our CD's from years
past and incorporate the artwork once again?  Are they afraid they are
going to miss a buck? Highsmith makes a lot of money from the CSLP.  A
lot of money! One of the biggest reasons for joining CLSP is have access
to high quality artwork and a complete summer reading manual.  Libraries
on a small budget/no budget were able to produce high quality summer
reading materials and programs.  Some libraries do purchase a lot of
materials, others do not.  That's OK.   Does Highsmith think they are
not selling as much CLSP material because we are creating our own?  Are
sales down this year?  Of course, library budgets are down this year as
well.  Is Highsmith reacting to the economy and taking it out on CLSP? 

Has anyone talked with the Executive Board of CLSP to let them know
what kind of hardship the limitation of use of the art will be?  So many
libraries across the nation are facing bigger and bigger finanacial cuts
and the CLSP is one thing that has been affordable, optional to use and
helps create support for libraries on a united front both statewide and
nationwide. Also, I don't know if Highsmith would enjoy having negative
press about something such as Summer Reading.  I remember, when CLSP was
small they had a much stronger voice because Highsmith wanted their
business. This situation makes me feel as if Highsmith has taken over
the CLSP program and they now call the shots.  Say this isn't so.  I
hope enough states are speaking up to both CLSP and Highsmith this is
not acceptable.  

Dana

Dana Campbell, Youth Services Librarian 
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library 
645 Monroe Ave. 
Corvallis, OR  97330 
541-766-6784 
Fax:  541-766-6915 
dana.campbell at ci.corvallis.or.us 
PNLA Oregon Representative 2008-2010 
ALA SRRT Amelia Bloomer Cmmt. 2008-2012 

From:kids-lib-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
[mailto:kids-lib-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of BOGART
Debra S
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 10:00 AM
To: 'BJ Toewe'; '(kids-lib at listsmart.osl.state.or.us)';
'(oyan at listsmart.osl.state.or.us)'; Katie Anderson
Subject: Re: [kids-lib] summer reading copyright?
Hi all-
I agree with BJ; my memory, from serving as CSD chair the year that
Oregon joined the collaborative, is that originally CSLP did solely own
the copyright to the art and did not own it jointly with Highsmith. So I
believe that has changed over the years. I agree that many libraries,
including ours, are or could be easily priced out of the market with
Highsmith’s materials. We don’t use reading records, but if we did have
to purchase the 7500+ that we’d need, it would put a large dent in
either our programming or the number of free books we could give away. 
Perhaps the cost of using a well-known illustrator has sky-rocketed in
the past five years. But it is also true that this year and last year,
we have liked only a few of the individual clip art graphics and have
disliked several of them and chosen not to use them anyway. So many
libraries or states might be happy with lower cost art from lesser known
artists? Just some more thoughts for our representatives to take to the
meeting, thank you-
Deb

Debra Bogart
Youth Services
Summer Reading Co-Coordinator
Eugene Public Library

From:kids-lib-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
[mailto:kids-lib-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of BJ
Toewe
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 3:03 PM
To: '(kids-lib at listsmart.osl.state.or.us)';
'(oyan at listsmart.osl.state.or.us)'; Katie Anderson
Subject: Re: [kids-lib] summer reading copyright?

Hi Katie,

I am supposed to be out of the summer reading loop but can't contain my
thoughts on this, in spite of trying really hard.

I would like to see delegates to CSLP actively lobby for changes to
this rule.  There seems to be less validity in participating in a
cooperative that disallows use of the summer reading program clip art
for customized reading logs, final certificates, etc.  While I
understand that Highsmith would like to be sole source for all things
reading club, their pricing doesn't make it possible for many, many
libraries to order their products.  While I value things that many
libraries would never be able to afford - a large vinyl banner in full
color, a variety of t-shirts sporting the summer theme, full color
bookmarks - I question the wisdom of CSLP negotiating a contract that
won't allow a small library to print off reading logs or certificates on
their photocopier using that summer's clip art.  One of the main reasons
for joining this cooperative was the ability to obtain high quality art
work that would have been unaffordable for Oregon to obtain on its own. 
However, the strength of branding is negated when libraries are not
allowed to use that artwork to create their summer reading materials.

I know from when I was the CSLP rep that Highsmith enjoys a really
wonderful return on the investment it makes of time and money to produce
these materials.  I also know that CSLP benefits with a percentage
kickback from Highsmith that can be used to reinvest in continuing this
venture from year to year.  I don't think that either entity would find
participation in future years unaffordable if this rule was changed. 
Perhaps total income would go down but making this program work for
libraries with smaller reading club budgets should be an important
aspect as well.  Finally, if this is untenable to Highsmith, we all know
of other vendors who might be interested in collaborating with CSLP,
even with the change in clip art rules.  While I'm not advocating for
moving from Highsmith as our vendor, I do think that the rules for use
of clip art are in drastic need of change.

If my assessment of this situation doesn't accurately reflect the views
of youth services librarians around the state, please do weigh in on the
subject.  I certainly haven't taken the time to make calls and survey
librarians around the state.

My two (long-winded) cents....

BJ

BJ Toewe

Library Administrator

Salem Public Library
PO Box 14810
Salem, OR   97309
503-588-6084
bjtoewe at cityofsalem.net

>>> Katie Anderson <katie.anderson at state.or.us> 5/26/2010 4:12 PM >>>

Hello!  I just received the following question, and thought you all
might like to know the answer.

Katie, maybe I am misunderstanding but it seems that some of the Oregon
libraries are misunderstanding the copyright issue – basically to not
compete with items already sold by Highsmith/upstart? I think they are
seeing it as all clipart being copyrighted by highsmith and unable to be
used by them when in fact they can use the clipart for their everything
that is not duplicating what highsmith currently sales in their catalog?
If I’m wrong on this, please correct me. 
Thanks!

Yes, you are correct!  Both the clip-art in the manual and by the
artists can be used for products that do not duplicate what Highsmith
currently offers.  

The clarification is around what is considered a duplication of paper
products.  For example, many libraries around the country have different
reading goals/records, therefore the reading records offered by
Highsmith don’t work for them.  In the past we thought it was OK to use
the clip-art to create our own reading record because Highsmith didn’t
offer a similar reading record.  This year we learned that since
Highsmith offers a reading record we can’t use the clip-art to create a
different type of reading record.  We can still use the art on sign-up
forms, events calendars, booklists, event promotions/signs/brochures,
and other materials not available to purchase from Highsmith/Upstart.

Thanks,
katie

Katie Anderson, Library Development Services
* Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301

katie.anderson at state.or.us, 503-378-2528
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