The library is NOT a cushy place to serve.

On Sunday, I was in the library after Church doing the usual--waiting for and putting things away that had been checked out, and making copies for members of First Ward who had come early. For some reason, their librarian was late that day. A young girl, maybe 10 or 11 came in with a piece of music about 5 pages long. She asked for one copy of the entire piece. I checked the copyright. It was not published by the Church, and so I explained that I could not copy the music. A few minutes later, the young girl and her mother came in, and the mom very nicely explained that the copies would only be used so that her daughter wouldn't have to turn the pages when she played in Sacrament Meeting: As soon as the meeting was over, the copies would be torn up. I explained to the mother about the sticker on the copy machine explaining that the term "fair use" was not clear and that in some instances the Church could be held liable and therefore permission from the copyright owner was required (!)--not by me but by the Church. The mom said that the music people in her Ward said that as long as copies were destroyed afterward, making copies for a one-time use was fine. I explained that when my children participated in solo and ensemble, no xerox copies were allowed for the judges or the accompanist--something I feel fairly certain the music people would have known. Not wanting to be the cause of a hullabaloo, I explained that I'd made a huge effort to make this known in my ward (The text of the warning has been printed in our bulletin for about 3 weeks now.) therefore my suggestion to the mom was to wait for her Ward's librarian to come. Perhaps she would not have any misgivings about making the copy. Let me say here that the mother was very gracious and understanding of MY position and never tried to make me feel like I was being THE unreasonable obstacle. I still felt just awful. I had asked our Ward to publish that warning specifically because I did not want this very thing to happen. Our choir director has come to me in the past at the last minute (right before Church when the choir is on the program to sing or when a soloist is going to perform) and requested copies of music "because it is out of print." I made a point of telling her about the notice on the copier and suggested that the Ward Music Chairman, who schedules musical numbers be made aware of the notice also so that when people are asked to perform, they are TOLD that they cannot copy music in the Church library. sigh. Our choir director is also Stake Music Chairman this year. She will be holding a workshop for all those with a calling involving music and has promised to bring this issue up in that workshop.

On Tuesday I called the Intellectual Propperties Office of the Church. Their extension to use with the Church's 800 number is given on the copier notice with the invitation to call if there are any questions. I thought they might tell me that the notice is simply on the copier so that the Church can say, "We've made a good faith effort to comply with the law." and then librarians might be free to use their own judgment. I explained what had happened on Sunday and asked how I should have handled that situation. The woman I talked to was very nice. She said that music is the single biggest problem when it comes to use of the copier. She said the Intellectual Properties office has tried to inform the Church membership at large in various ways--General Church Handbook of Instructions, page 294, Ensign article, letter to bishops, etc. --what the copyright restrictions are and how the Church would like the members to handle it, but some people think they know better, and don't pay attention to the restrictions. She said, "I don't envy you people in the library. I know you get put on the spot, and it isn't easy/fun to enforce the policy." It's small comfort to know you're right to uphold copyright laws when it results in refusing to make copies. There is no warm, fuzzy feeling, no good feeling usually associated with service in that action. No doubt other circumstances have the same result--like the bishop holding fast to the rule about who is old enough to go to Girls' Camp or Scout Camp, for example. double sigh.