Results from the Copyright Office Health Check
In late 2018, Langara’s Copyright Office ran a ‘Health Check’ survey to ensure it is providing instructors with the support they need to navigate the increasingly complicated world of copyright.
Copyright management programs in post-secondary institutions take many forms. To date, Langara’s Copyright Office has focused on education. We share information with Langara instructors about their rights and responsibilities under Canadian copyright law through in-person and online training opportunities, so they feel empowered to make informed decisions when using copyright-protected content in their day-to-day work.
Although the survey included a number of scenario-based questions, it did not aim to test respondents’ individual copyright knowledge. Rather, it explored two overarching questions: How is Langara’s copyright management program working? What can we do better?
Shortly after the survey concluded, Langara’s Copyright Librarian, Lindsay Tripp, returned from maternity leave and her replacement, Darcye Lovsin, commenced a new position with Douglas College. During the transition, we missed the opportunity to share the survey results while they were hot off the press. So, in the spirit of “better late than never,” we offer the following highlights:
- 27 instructors completed the survey, representing 16 different faculties and departments. The greatest number of respondents (n=5) belong to the Langara School of Management.
- 55.6% of respondents report having a basic knowledge of Langara’s copyright policies.
- 59.3% of respondents have attended a copyright workshop, participated in a one-on-one consultation with Copyright Office staff, and/or completed the College’s online copyright tutorial for instructors.
- 70.3% of respondents have read a copyright article/update in the Langara Post or Academic Innovation Newsletter over the past year.
- The majority of respondents (n=26) consult additional resources when they have a copyright question. The most popular source of information is one’s subject librarian (37%).
- Online tutorials were the most popular mode of copyright education (51.9%), followed by in-person workshops (48.2%).
Responses to the scenario-based questions suggest the Copyright Office can improve educational efforts on the following topics:
- Use of online images for education
- Terms-of-use for licensed resources (databases, e-books, online journals)
Sincere thanks to those who took the time to complete the survey. Your thoughtful responses are already informing future directions for copyright management on campus.
For more information, visit our new copyright website.
Contact us at copyright@langara.ca with questions, comments, and concerns, or to arrange a customized copyright workshop for your department. We look forward to hearing from you!
