You mean I CAN copy it? (Understanding Music Copyright)

To be honest, copyright legislation is a rather negative topic! If something's 'in copyright', you can't copy it.  However, if something is very old, or if you have the right permissions, or if you're copying a tiny extract for study purposes, then you may be able to copy it, guilt-free.  

So, how do you find out what's allowed?

1. The IAML(UK and Ireland) website has a full page devoted to copyright, with lots of useful links, particularly relating to music.  (The International Association of Music Libraries is our professional association; a working group is currently drawing up a new helpful advice document, but you can certainly trust the links that are already on this website.)
2. Another UK library organisation, CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) has its own page about copyright in general.
3. Try the UK Copyright Service website.
4. Conservatoires and Universities often have their own web-pages on copyright legislation, sometimes on a Virtual Learning Network that only their own staff and students can access.  (We have such a page on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's VLN.)  We also have someone on the staff with particular responsibilities for providing copyright advice. This is quite common.
5. The British Academy for the Human and Social Sciences has a very extensive copyright advice page, though you might be put off by its length!  

The bottom line is - if in doubt, ask! Whether you ask your library staff or one of the agencies on the IAML list, someone will be happy to help you work out where you stand.

How can you tell we're librarians?!

CILIP, the librarians' professional body, sent us a link to 6 Terms that Instantly Reveal You as a Librarian.  We must be atypical - I don't think many of us have ever used these words in conversation with our readers.  Except ephemera, maybe.  Karen does like her ephemera.

Readers, do you know what CILIP stands for?

Dear Reader,

I'm your Music and Academic Services Librarian - and I'm a chartered librarian.  That means I'm a member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.  

So, apart from my music qualifications, I also have a postgraduate librarianship diploma, and the postnominals denoting my membership of CILIP.  Most chartered librarians use the initials, MCLIP - Member of the Chartered [Institute] of Library and Information Professionals.  

FCLIP, proudly elected

After doing my PhD, I decided to go for bust and apply to be elected a Fellow of CILIP - so now I'm FCLIP.

Why am I telling you all this?  Well, before CILIP was CILIP, it was the Library Association.  It sounded a bit old-fashioned, but people knew who we were and what we did.  CILIP is now having a consultation to see how they could improve our professional association's name again.  Do I want to be an Information Pro?  Not really.  Or a member of the Information People?  Give me strength!  The first sounds like Pro Plus in the stacks, and the second more like KwikFit or the worshippers of a book-loving deity than a professional organisation.  

I mean, there's the Law Society.  The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.  The General Teaching Council for Scotland.  And the General Medical Council. They all have a certain 'gravitas', as befits a profession in which you've worked hard to gain recognition.

 I completed CILIP's survey earlier today.  I couldn't come up with a suggestion for a new name, off the top of my head, with a cursor flashing in front of me.  

But how about The Association of Chartered Information Professionals?  Or, The Information Society? 

Because I really don't want to be a Fellow of the Information People, or a Fellow Information Pro, thank you very much!  Watch this space ...