Fair use plays a crucial role as copyright’s safety valve for free expression because it permits unauthorized copying in service of the public good. This role, which enables everything from scathing reviews of artwork to wholesale digitization of books for accessibility, is taking on new currency as librarians scramble to preserve contested government information online. From deleted climate data, disappearing government web pages, and ephemeral political tweets, fair use cuts through the legal confusion so we can maintain the historical and scientific record. This webinar will introduce fair use as an equitable doctrine designed to support librarianship and prepare participants to apply fair use in their own communities’ work.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the fundamentals of fair use as an equitable doctrine that permits use of copyrighted materials for the public good.

• Understand the copyright issues surrounding government information and the effects of sharing materials posted on different platforms such as .gov sites and social media platforms like Twitter.

• Apply fair use in their own practice preserving and sharing digital government documents in their own communities.