Whenever the Library buys or subscribes to a resource, particularly digital resources, we must abide by the publisher or content provider's licence terms. Given the number of publishers and the different types of content we hold, you can imagine that there are many different licence types in use at any one time.
The panels below will allow you to understand some of the differences between the licences and what that means for how we can provide access to resources.
If the Library subscribes to or owns a digital version of an item, there is normally a licence. For:
a specific journal, the licence agreement with the journal publisher is the relevant one.
a journal database – such as Education Research Complete or Sport Discus – the license agreement with the database provider is the one to look at.
an e-book, it is the license with the platform host or publisher.
Check the Library’s licensing page for details (or ask your academic service librarian).
We use the Copyright Licensing Agency’s Higher Education Licence for UUK/GuildHE members which largely covers photocopying and scanning of material. It is the relevant licence for most published materials that staff might hand out to their class or include on Moodle.
Broadly, you can copy:
Up to one chapter of a book
Up to one whole article from a single issue of a journal or set of conference proceedings
One short story or poem not exceeding 10 pages in length from an anthology
Or 10% of the whole publication
You may copy these items to distribute to each member of a class, together with the class tutor.
You may have a copy scanned to include on Moodle.
If a scanned copy is made from a print original, we do this for you in the Library. Check our Scanning service page.
The CLA has a list of ‘exclusions’ – items and categories of material that cannot be used under the terms of this license. Some are surprising; for example, you can’t use any of the works by the writer J.D. Salinger or the Simpsons-creator Matt Groening. There's a list of publishers with exclusions and individual authors with exclusions but you should also use the Check Permissions service, available throughout the CLA site, to check permissions for a specific item.
You can create a collection of licensed course materials in a study pack – electronically or in print. Further details are available on creating and using Course Packs.
For occasional copying of newspaper articles
We subscribe to the NLA Basic Licence (PDF) which does not cover systematic copying – such as maintaining a press-cuttings or clippings collection.
Allows you to record broadcasts from free-to-air broadcasters for use in teaching, including adding them to Moodle, or adding them to Library collections, and permits the use of catch-up services, such as All 4, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub etc.
Broadcasts must be recorded appropriately, and the recording must be appropriately labelled – either physically or electronically – with the date of the broadcast, the name of the broadcaster and the title of the programme, together with the words: ‘This recording is to be used only for educational and non-commercial purposes under the terms of the ERA Licence’.
The ERA provides FAQ pages and a licence terms summary on its website.
