Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Digital Rights Management: The Librarian's Guide (Medical Library Association Books Series)

In a world of users that routinely click "I Agree" buttons, librarians may be the lone voice raising an alert to the privacy, use, and ownership issues arising in connection with the design and implementation of digital rights management (DRM) technologies. DRM reflects the efforts of copyright owners to prevent the illegal distribution of copyrighted material - an admirable goal on its face. A common misunderstanding is that DRM is copyright law. It is not. Rather it is a method of preventing copyright infringement; however, if unchecked, DRM has the potential to violate privacy, limit ownership rights, and undermine the delicate balance of rights and policies established by our current system of copyright. All three of these arenas are critical for both librarians and their users. Reflecting the shift from ownership to access, libraries are increasingly providing access to rights-protected digital content. Libraries strive to provide access to rights-protected content in a manner that protects both the content creator and the privacy of the user. DRM encompasses a variety of technologies and strategies utilized by content owners and managers to limit access to and the use of rights-protected content. Librarians need to understand DRM to effectively enable users to access and use rights-protected digital content while at the same time protecting the privacy of the user. Designed to address the practical operational and planning issues related to DRM, this guide explores the critical issues and challenges faced by librarians. After reading it, librarians will better understand: ·the digital content rights protection scheme; ·the various DRM technologies and how they are used; ·how to use authentication and authorization standards, strategies, and technologies; and, ·the privacy and security issues related to DRM. Edited by two librarians who also hold law degrees, this is a best practices guide for front-line librarians on how to best respond to the impact of DRM schemes on collection development, staffing, budget, service, and other library concerns. Review Digital Rights Management: The Librarian's Guide provides an excel-lent starting point for librarians at any level who are seeking to understand the current range of DRM systems, their functional mechanics of access and copy protections, and how the various types of DRM and their restrictions play into larger considerations for collection development, electronic acquisitions processes, and user services. As electronic resources continue their rise in dominating library budgets and collections, this timely book provides a convenient means for librarians, administration, and staff to understand how DRM will shape the future of library collections and the broad use of information in our age.--Journal of the Medical Library Association Editors Lemmer (director, Lake Forest Lib., IL) and Wale (Temple Univ. Beasley Sch. of Law Lib.) offer a primer on digital rights management (DRM) that moves from the basics and technical aspects to legal scenarios and hands-on situations where DRM comes into play. The authors include an introduction to DRM and related technologies, going on to explain how libraries can use DRM to manage open-access materials (with a guide that details various open-access models), and how workflows and organizational structure can help manage the practicalities of DRM. The last chapter comes down firmly and emphatically against using DRM in academic libraries and offers suggestions on how libraries can work toward building DRM-free digital collections. This book shines in its later chapters, which offers novices a framework on what to look for and best practices in digital collections contracting, a comprehensive overview of digital rights and information privacy and their importance to libraries, and a brief yet thorough explanation of what librarians need to know about DRM and copyright law. VERDICT: A useful volume for all librarian