In attendance: George Miles, Christine de Vallet, Elisabeth Fairman, Diane Kaplan, Fred Musto, Martha Smalley, Richard Warren, Chris Weideman, David Walls, Toby AppelAbsent: Richard Williams, Bridget Burke

1. We discussed the success of the SCOPA-sponsored Special Collections Fair. Chris Weideman got very positive feedback. There was general agreement amongst our committee that it be opened to a wider audience (especially faculty and graduate and undergraduate students of departments such as history, English, art history, etc.). Our committee might want to get involved in the future. George Miles agreed that it might be held in the mezzanine in Beinecke sometime early in the fall semester (second week of September?). The Beinecke may be able to pick up the small costs associated with the event (ca. $300 for tablecloths, coffee and cookies). We will address the issue of sponsorship before we adjourn for the summer.

2. The symposium on digitization held at the Yale Center for British Art on November 21 was discussed. The speakers raised a number of issues. We realize that there are copyright problems associated with using images on web sites but the speakers implied that using these images were no different than photocopying material for class packets as long as access to the sites was restricted somehow (by IP address or password). Worry about copyright shouldn't hold us back from developing projects. Indeed, there are a number of Yale projects already accessible, from the Scully site to Divinity's Ad Hoc Digital Committee's project on the History of Christianity:

http://www.yale.edu/adhoc/teaching_resources/

The introduction to that project includes a disclaimer that may be enough to protect us:

"Because of copyright restrictions, some of the images and texts contained in the database will not be accessible outside of Yale."

Our subcommittee set up to look at copyright may want to look at possible disclaimers.

3. There was some discussion about best places to scan images. Susan Williams, Visual Resources Curator (e-mail: susan.j.williams@yale.edu; phone: 432-2443) is the person to contact for information. The medical library has particular concerns about putting archival material on CD-ROM. At some point, we may ask Susan to address the committee about various options and particular vendors.

4. The committee may be able to play a role in the on-going discussions of how to handle special materials being sent to the off-site shelving facility. As representatives of various special collections on campus, we are most familiar with a wide range of special materials and understand the issues involved.

5. An ad hoc subcommittee to look at copyright issues will be convened in January to meet with Ann Okerson to consider a few of the questions raised here. [note: meeting to be held January 21, 11:30-1p.m.] We would also like to consider the questions recorded in last year's meeting, as follows: [[taken from the minutes of our meeting on April 24, 1997 and recorded by Chris Weideman]:

PHOTOGRAPHS AND COPYRIGHT

Listed below are the questions I received from various subcommittee members regarding photos/copyright (I have combined and summarized questions when possible). Let's discuss how best to get answers to these - we might put together a subcommittee to work on them or there might be enough knowledge around the table to just address them on Tuesday.

1) Do we have the right to make a reproduction of any photograph in our collection for a researcher?

2) Can we give permission and charge a fee for publication of a photo if we have no legal document that transfers copyright of it to us? Does it depend on the language used in the facsimile reproduction form we ask the researcher to fill out when he/she wants to publish one of our photographs?

3) How can we determine the copyright status of photographs in our collection when we have no paper trail in our own files documenting that status?

a) do we own copyright to photos over 75 years old? b) what to do with photos less than 75 years old (if that makes a difference) with or without a photographer/photographic studio stamp?

4) When donors donate photographs, either taken by them or by someone else, what rights can and should we request?

5) Can we "publish" any photograph in our collection on a web site? Do we need a disclaimer? What should it say?

And: An addition to our questions:

6) Are there different issues we need to consider when we supply a photograph or photographs to a commercial vendor publishing a CD-ROM (as opposed to supplying a photograph to a book publisher)?

We adjourned for a tour of "bad" storage sites used by Manuscripts and Archives department. Diane and Chris are very pleased they will have space in the off-site shelving facility.

The next meeting will be in February at the Beinecke.

The date will be forthcoming when George has figured out the best day. [note: Meeting to be February 10 at 9:30 a.m.]

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